Mendez backstory
by Draguna Doragon
Summary: a spin off from Black Jester, please read after chapter 8 to learn more about Angelica Mendez and how she came to be. M for violence and sex, parings Catherina Mendez and Killer Croc. Catherina is a singer in a Falcone Jazz club, in desperate need of a protector. will committing the lesser of two evils keep her safe? or will Croc be the end of her world as she knows it?
1. Chapter 1

"My children. I have something to tell you."

"Mama." The young girl was fisting at her over sized black hoodie, making sure it hi her face as she sobbed. "Oh Mama."

"Oh my darling daughter." A fallen Spanish angel lay in a hospital bed, an unnatural white tint to her honey skin. Her deep brown eyes were sunken; her thick ebony hair was matted to the hospital pillows. The soft dropping sound of the morphine in the IV echoed like drums in the background, along with the beeping of heart monitors and the distant sound of doctors and nurses running around. The woman gulped; her throat dry and the action sending shooting pain through her head. She lifted a shaking hand onto her daughter's head, the patient tag with her name, Catherina Mendez, sliding down her wasting wrist. "My little Angelica."

"It's not fair Mama. You don't deserve this." Catherina slipped her weak hand under the hood and caressed her beloved child's face.

"I know child. But I am dying. Which is why I must ask you to hear something I never wanted to tell you." She watched her daughter slowly lift her head and press her cheek into her hand. Two gleaming watery amber eyes stared back at the wasting woman. "I thought one day I might have to tell you. But I wanted to wait until you were all grown up, not a child." She gulped, finding it harder and harder to talk.

"Mama, what do you mean?"

"Oh child. You are my little angel. But I need to tell you of my past. Only then will you be able to move forward however you wish. But despite how sordid this tale becomes, listen to me. You must listen to me." She took as deep a breath as her aching lungs would allow. "Only at the end will you understand who you two really are, and why I've kept this from you. Before we moved to Metropolis, before you were born, I lived in Gotham..."

(from now on all italics is the narrative of the mother, Catherina Mendez).

"Ladies and Gentle men, welcome back our leading lady, Catherina Mendez, our lady in red."

Smooth tones of Jazz music and sweet piano cords danced through the air of the hottest Jazz Bar in all of Gotham. The carpets were purple velvet, the tables on the floor were round and dark mahogany with golden frames. The chairs were a lush deep black with high backs and dark wooden legs. There were purple and gold velvet curtains covering the walls and a long bar shimmering with bottles of every kind of liquor against the wall on tap. 5 waiters dressed in full tux's, minus the jacket, with a dark red waist jacket and tie manned the bar with perfect hair and smiles. This was a luxurious club, where only the finest, richest...

...scum on the Falcone friends and associates list relaxed and conducted business in private.

_Now you have to understand. I was the only daughter of my single parent mother, Sophia Mendez, and we grew up in the Queen's Harlem. I was born in Falcone land, and that made me their property. _

_Young women in the slummed out areas of Gotham could do one of three things. They could marry a gangster, and have their protection. This meant being their woman, and being at their mercy. _

_Second, you could become a working girl, and hope you have a pimp that protects his merchandise. That of course was also a dangerous life, and it would have killed me to do this. _

_And third, you could have a skill that the Falcone want. And this is how I supported myself and my mother over 20 years ago..._

An Espanic beauty sashayed onto the stage, 5ft 6 with long ebony wavy hair down her back, her bangs framing her sharp feline face and high silver stilettos. They matched her three layered diamond encrusted choker and sparkling bracelets on each wrist, part of a set. She wore a long ruby red dress with a V neck, long sleeves and a slit up either side to her mid thigh, exposing her shapely honey legs. Her lips were also ruby red and her deep brown eyes framed with smoky eye shadow. The woman smoothed her hands down her dress, took a deep breath and nodded to the jazz band. She released a soft hum into the microphone to test it was working, and right on cue released a barrage of husky tunes which would lull with higher feather soft harmonies.

_I was talent scouted at my school. I had just graduated and I was singing in the ceremony when a very smartly dressed man approached my mother. He said I was perfect for a new opening they had at the hottest jazz club in Gotham. The Blue Moon. My mother and I were so excited. They would pay me $1000 a night, give me luxury accommodation and all my bills would be included. I'd get to sing for a career, and earn enough to take care of my mother. I was 18 and looking forward to life for the first time in my life. _

Catherina's voice lulled and excited all who heard it, and quickly became the headline act of The Blue Moon. Life was good.

That was, until she was reminded that she 'belonged' to the Falcone gang.

_Life was good. Very good. For a while. Men paid me attention of course. And I was no fool. I knew that the Falcone Gang owned that club. As I knew they owned all of the Queens area in Gotham. It was expected that everyone in this part of town worked for them. _

_What I didn't realise was I was expected to have more than one obligation to the gang. Because I was a woman._

After a few weeks and she had become established in the club and became accustomed to the life style. That's when it all went south.

_A few of the regulars at the club. They belonged to the Falcone gang, actually gang members. They always watched me from the shadows. This night they jumped me. Forced me to...the three of them took turns with me. Afterwards they said if I didn't like it I should take it up with the boss. _

_I did. _

_He laughed. _

_He said I belonged to him, and his men. And he liked to reward his men for good work with fine women._

Catherina stared at Eric Falcone, the head of the club and one of the lesser generals of the Falcone gang, as he told her to go home, clean up and be on time for rehearsals tomorrow. He also informed her, that if she ever told the police, he would personally make sure her mother turned up in the river.

So the battered, traumatised and bleeding woman hobbled home and cried in the bottom of the luxurious bathtub. She held herself, scrubbing her body clean over and over again. She saw flashes of those men leering at her, the feel of their hands on her body, the cold stone of the brick wall pressing against her back as they rammed her into it over and over and over. Catharina was in the bath for over an hour cleaning herself. Even after the water ran cold and her skin became covered in Goosebumps, she still sat in that murky bath.

She only stopped crying when the phone rang. She turned and looked out of the bathroom door, as if unsure what that ringing noise was or if it was safe to leave the confines of her bath to go and answer it. after the 5th ring she slowly pulled herself out of the bath and wrapped a large fluffy white towel around her body. She ignored the wet footprints she made in the chocolate shag carpet, making her way to the telephone. She fell to her knees by the small table and lifted the phone with shaking hands.

"Catherina? Oh my baby, I was worried when you did not answer straight away. I always call at 9, like you say, and you no answer?" Catharina wiped the tears from her face and took a deep breath. Her mother's English wasn't as good as hers, but it added to her charm. Her Spanish twang always made her sound gentle, even when she was angry. That was of course, until she was very angry. "Is everything ok?"

"Yes Mama." She worked hard to hold back her tears and her shaky breathing. "I was late from work. I just got out of the bath."

"Oh good. I just wanted to let you know that my new chair is here! It is so soft and good on my back. I press the button and it lifts me to my feet. My back is singing its praises to the heavens."

"Oh good." Catherina started dabbing the towel to her legs, staring down at the bruises as she let her mother chuckle about how good their lives were now.

_I belonged to the Falcone; I couldn't leave even if I wanted to. The only ways out were to go to the police or to die. I would never leave my mother alone. I was all she had left in this world. She had managed to work all of her life in a corner shop, which had been robbed more times that we could count and she had been shot three times. The last time was in her back and caused her pain all the time. all I wanted to do was take care of my mother. _

_If I told her what happened to me that night she would call the police. _

_And the Falcone gang would kill her. _

"You are very quiet tonight baby?"

"I'm just tired Mama." She pulled the towel from her middle and dabbed her hair. "I'm probably going to go to bed soon." She cleared her throat, trying not to sound as typically nasal as you did after crying your heart out.

"Alright child. You work so hard. Take care of yourself baby."

"I will Mama. Good night."

Catherina put the phone down and released a breath she didn't realise she'd been holding.

_I couldn't tell my mother what had happened. It wasn't just my life that was in danger, it was hers as well. My mother worked hard all her life just so I could go to school and graduate. She was so proud when I got a job as a singer. If she found out I'd been gang raped, and that I had to put up with it, it would break her heart. She'd have insisted that I had to go to the police, regardless what might happen to her. _

_I couldn't do that to her. _

The next day she showered again, and pulled on a pair of black pumps, a pink play suit and a black denim jacket. She tied her hair up into a high ponytail, curved her fringe over her forehead and her bangs to frame her face. She picked up her black sequin handbag and headed into Gotham.

First stop...the pharmacy. She bought a morning after pill and immediately downed it with some mineral water. In light of the state of Gotham, despite the recent drop in crime, women only needed to prove they were over 18 now to get emergency contraception over the counter.

Which was great, as she didn't want to have to explain what had happened to her...

Her next stop was a place she'd never been before. A gun shop.

If they thought she was just going to let them rape her, they had another thing coming. She couldn't quit her job. She couldn't go to the police.

_So I decided to take matters into my own hands. I bought a small revolver and a box of bullets for it. Then I bought a special knife. _

"Listen lady." A aging man with soft white hair and a matching moustache folded his arms over his chequered shirt and denim jeans. "I can't count how many women I've sold 38 special revolvers to in this city. But sometimes you don't have your handbag on you. Now, I never used to be a knives person." he opened up the glass cabinet and pulled out what looked like a black USB pen, the length of a middle finger. "This is one of the smallest switch blades out there. You can conceal this in your purse, or more commonly these days, in your jeans pocket or down your bra. This button here-" he pointed to a small silver button on the side. He pressed it, and with a soft fwip, the long silver blade shot out of the handle. "-the blade comes out. it's not long enough to kill a man unless you aim for the neck. Not that that's what I think you want it for, but it's long enough to cause some serious pain and damage. Enough for you to get away." There was a knowing look in his blue eyes. "You need someone to talk to hun? I have a daughter about your age so-"

"No sir." Catherina paid in cash and showed him her id. She managed to convince him not to take a copy of it. "Thank you sir. Good day."

_I went straight home, and built up the courage to go to rehearsals at the club that day. I walked in carrying my dress over my arm in a carrier and my accessories and makeup in my handbag. I walked straight through the club and into the dressing room. The dancers were already getting into their feather carnival outfits for the exotic dancing entertainment, the show opener. _

"Hay honey, slow down." The leading lady of the exotics, as they were nicknamed, called her over. "You're shaking like a leaf deary." Catherina looked the woman over. She was the only one to have shown her any kindness in her weeks here. She was a tall busty blonde with brilliant blue eyes and signature bubblegum pink lips. Her outfits always matched this shade, and she was referred to the pink lady. Today's outfit consisted of pink high heels, pink fishnet tights attached to her showgirl pink dress with feathers framing the bust and the skirt of the dress. Her long sleeved gloves were again, pink as were the gems on her diamante choker and eye shadow. She had her hair pinned up on her head in curls with pink feathers sticking up like a fan at the back. They bounced with the movement of her head. Her real name was Lucy Meadows, and she was the only one who would talk to the 'new girl'. "Sit down sweetie."

"Oh Lucy." Catherina dropped into her seat next to the woman. "I need go back out there. But I ca-ca." She whimpered and held her face in her hands. "After the show last night..." her body shook, her bones were cold under her skin and the phantom touch of those men made her stomach churn.

"Oh dear." Lucy stopped her there, lifting the latino's face from her hands and smoothing away the start of tears. "I didn't think this would happen to you so soon. When you ran off last night...did those goons who followed you...?"

"You knew this would happen?!" her big brown eyes stared at her new friend who looked sympathetic, but knowing. "Why didn't you-"

"Warn you? I was going to. But I didn't think I'd have to warn you so soon. It was 4 months before they...I mean with me..." Lucy released her chin and looked down at her dresser. Each artist had a station with a dresser, a small wardrobe to the right and a large mirror with all their accessories and toiletries in front of them. Lucy started to fuss over her hair brush rather than look at the shaking woman. "Listen kid." She turned and flashed her sorry baby blues at her. "I was exactly the same as you. Bright eyed, bushy tailed, and totally innocent. You lost that last night. And that isn't right. And _that-_" Lucy pointed at the revolver poking out of her handbag. "Might make you feel safer, but not against these guys." She leaned closer, picking up a tissue to dab the younger woman's face with. "Cathy, these men are cold blooded killers. They ain't gonna stop doing what they do, because one of their girlies went and bought herself a gun. They don't come after you on their own. Can you shoot more than one man before they draw their gun? And _they_ pack some serious heat sugar. Big semi and full automatic guns. Not tiny little 38 specials."

_I listened to new friend, feeling my short lived feeling of security slip away from me. With every word she spoke I felt helpless again, but I knew she was telling the truth. I listened to her with such desperation, hoping she would give me an answer. And...in her way...she did. _

"There has to be something I can do? I will not _let them rape me._" Catherina hissed under her breath, not wanting the other girls to hear them as the dressing room became a hustle with ladies getting ready. Her body ached as she leaned in to the blonde, trying to keep their conversation private.

"Girls have come and gone, many have fought and most have turned up in pieces in the back allies of Gotham for trying it." Lucy demanded her attention, holding either side of her face. "There is only one way to protect yourself in this life honey. This advice I'm about to lay down for you, was given to me by Lady Ana, who you will now know as Anya _Falcone_." Lucy pulled her Hispanic friend's silver brush from her dresser and ran it through her long black hair. This action started to calm her friend.

"The boss's wife?"

"Exactly."

_Lucy told me the real reason she was making the effort to befriend and help me in this harsh world. When she was new, the leading act was a woman who plaid the piano beautifully. She was Lady Ana, a Russian diva who could sing as well as play. This experienced woman took young Lucy under her wing, and helped her pick herself up of the floor when 'they' were done with her. _"I asked her one day why the boys never bothered _her_ like they did the rest of us."

"How did she stay safe?" a stage hand ran in and told them they had to get ready, it was curtain up in 20 minutes. So Catherina hurried out of her clothes and into a long red mermaid style dress. Long red gloves, a halter neck dress with clung to her shapely body and followed her curves to her knees, where the dress flared out over her red heels. Lucy helped her straighten her hair as she applied her makeup. Red lips and smoky eyes as always.

"She got herself a man. She said to me, if you want to stay safe, you need to commit the lesser of two evils. Pick a man who will make sure no other man touches you. Belong to someone strong enough to protect you. She did, and now she's married to him. And I've done the exact same thing." Cathy fluffed her hair and got to her feet.

"Who's woman are you?"

"Finny Kent. Eric Falcone's right hand man. He's the one always sat with the boss man." Lucy held the younger woman's hands and nodded at her. "He's a pig. But he's only one pig who is grateful for my...willingness."

"But-"

"Get in line ladies! Exotics are on the stage in five minutes!" the stage hand barked through the dressing room door, making Lucy shuffle on the spot for the door.

"Like I said sugar. The lesser of two evils. Trust me, better than the alternative!" The blonde bombshell joined the other multicoloured show girls and filed out for the stage.

Catherina lowered to her seat and stared at the door. There were other acts in the large dressing room waiting to go on apart from her. but at that moment, she felt alone.

_The words of my wiser friend vibrated through me. What happened to me last night was evil and would always be my worst nightmare. I still couldn't look a man sideways 24 hours later. I probably could have used some counselling, but that would involve telling someone what happened to me. And I couldn't do that. Lucy only knows because she already knew. Looking back, I couldn't believe I'd even managed to get up that morning, never mind ran errands and turned up for work as normal. _

"Miss Mendez, you're on in 10."

"Si, thank you." She stared at herself in the mirror. How long had she been sat there? She was at least the 4th act, and each act took at least 30 minutes to an hour.

_My mind was a blur with everything and nothing, thinking over what my friend Lucy had said. I had to either accept this life, and be the play thing for those brutes every night for the rest of my life, use a gun to protect myself and risk turning up in an alleyway in bite size chunks, or...give myself to a man who has enough fear and respect to stop any other man from using me. The more I thought about it, the more I could see how Lucy could be right. It was the lesser of two evils. Being one man's whore, was much better than being at the mercy of the any Falcone thug that fancied a taste of me. _

"Come on, it's time." Catherina turned and looked at the stage hand, nodding and raising to her feet with as much elegance as her aching and bruised body would allow. She wobbled on the way to the door, as she had all day.

"Arny, I'm going to need a high stool and a mic on a stand."

"Already on the stage. I'll move it into position for you. Now hurry!"

She cautiously followed him out and waited for him to run around the stage, putting the high stool and mic in the middle of the stage. Catherina put on a brave face and held her head high as she walked out and took her place on the stool.

_I wouldn't give those fools the satisfaction of seeing my fear and pain._

"Ladies and gentlemen, the one, the only, the lady in red Catherina Mendez!"

The pianist plaid a soft tune to start with, and danced through the instrumental introduction to get everyone's attention. She expanded her diaphragm and ribs at the right time, and released her voice onto the room. The soft and passionate melody of Cry me a river lulled through the club like invisible smoke, turning and dancing around the audience's ears with delight.

She performed many of the best jazz songs over the night, getting much applause and praise from the audience. Her encore song was 'At last'.

_As I sang that night I had an agenda. I scanned the crowd, looking at my...would-be suitors. There were many men there, as always. Most were the likes of top brass police men, judges, lawyers and an array of Falcone thugs. _

Catherina needed someone powerful, someone possessive, and she needed them _fast_. She couldn't be raped again. She'd die first.

She had no answer to the question of 'who' by the time she had finished singing. The Latino princess in the red dress gingerly lowered from her stool to her high heels. She did what she usually did and sat at the entertainer's table.

After each performer finished their act they stepped off the stage and sat on a table to the right. Between the stage and the bar. It was made clear on their first day that they were expected to look pretty for the customers and even keep them company if it was cleared with the boss. And by cleared with the boss, I mean they have paid the correct boon to convince the boss to allow it.

As of yet no one had paid to have Catherina's company. Lucy was always with her boyfriend and protector Finny Kent. He was a stout kind of man. He wasn't very tall or attractive and clearly loved the richer food groups, but he took care of himself. He was always clean shaven and wearing a new Armani suit. Custom made from the look of it. His eyes were a sharp brown and he was laughing with the big man Eric Falcone and his wife, Anya sat with some of their richer clients over cards, cigars and of course, booze. Their table was at the far left from the stage, at the back of the club and out of sight. It was designed that way to give the boss the most privacy when conducting business.

At first she cursed when she saw Lucy waving for her to come over, having just sat down at the entertainers table and hoping for some peace and quiet. She put on a smile, pushed herself back onto her aching feet and forced herself walk with as much elegance as she could muster. As she reached the table, she scanned her eyes over the clients. One was in a very nice gray suit with a matching fedora hat. He hat it tipped forward to hide his face from on lookers and cameras. The other looked a bit scrappier with a long raincoat over a black track suit and a stubbly black beard to go with his messy black hair and dark eyes. This messy guy looked her up and down with such a hunger it made her freeze in place with fear.

"Cathy." Lucy forced a giggle and grabbed her friend's hand, yanking her both out of the terror trance she was in and down onto her lap at the end of the table. The blond wrapped her arms around her raven haired friend and beamed at her with a determined smile. "This is my man Finny, you know the boss and Lady Anya, and this is his honour Judge Reynolds and Denny the fist. He's Finny's second in command."

_Which meant he was the next most powerful member of this faction. He was my best choice in the Falcone ranks. _

Catherina smiled at them all, and said nothing. She was just glad to be on Lucy's lap and not anyone else's. As she looked at the leering man that was 'Denny the fist' she felt physically sick. There was no way she could lay down and take it for this man. Just by looking at him she could tell he wasn't interested in making sure no other man touched her. He was just interested on having a piece of her himself. Not a comforting thought.

"You feeling better today?" she snapped her head to the boss, Eric Falcone, still looking like a beautiful deer caught in the headlights of fear. "You were feeling..._unwell_ yesterday. Back to normal?"

"Of course she is." Lucy sang, holding the terrified young woman's hands on her lap, on top of _her _lap. "She's only 18 so all this is a bit much for her. Practically a baby really."

"And what a fine mother hen she has found herself." Anya tipped her raven head to one side at her. Her blue eyes were steel and sharp as they analysed Catherina up and down. "A fine voice too."

"Gracias." Her voice came out in a whisper and raised the brow of the Russian diva and her gangster husband. It looked like said gangster was about to say something, when a tall figure appeared before the table. Slowly her deep brown eyes moved over to the figure, and then swept upwards. He was a large man, bigger than she had ever seen in her life. The brown raincoat he wore could have been a tent it was that big. His hat was also enormous and tipped so far forward, you couldn't see any of his face. His hands were in his coat pockets, and he didn't say a word.

"Right, everyone make yourself busy. Now." Eric shooed everyone and his wife off the table to sit alone with the mass of a man. As Lucy dragged Catherina past the tall man she couldn't help but stare. The mystery of the man commanded her eyes to desperately seek for his face. He seemed to turn his head to watch her pass him, but she couldn't tell.

She was hurried back to the entertainers table and sat next to Lucy, who started fussing over her immediately.

_Lucy was worried about me, I could tell. I should have listened to her. she was talking to me, telling me that it wouldn't be good for me to freeze up like that again in front of the boss. She was also saying something about Denny, about him being a suitable match for me, but..._

_I wasn't listening. _

_I was staring at the tall man in the raincoat and hat, hunched over as he sat with Eric Falcone. _

He was too big for the chair. He had to hunch over just to keep his legs tucked under the table and his coat wrapped around his form. Catherina cocked her head to one side as she saw his hands finally appear on the table. Big black leather gloves. Interesting, she thought.

Who was his mystery man?

He spoke secretly, leaning down to Eric's level. They were probably talking about gang business.

"Lucy." Catherina cut her friend off in her wittering, and pointed to the tall man in the large coat. "Who is the large man talking to Señor Falcone?"

_When I didn't get an answer I turned back to Lucy to find her hand over her mouth and her eyes wide. _

"Oh sweety, that's one of the baddest men in all of Gotham. He hides his face, but we all know who he is." Catherina finally turned away from the tall man to look quizzically at her friend.

"Who is he?" Lucy tucked a stray lock of blonde hair behind her ear and looked down between them anxiously.

"Bad news."

"But-"

"Killer Croc." The blonde whispered and nervously and then looked around, seeing if anyone had heard them.

"Really?" Catherina immediately turned back to look at the man in the coat. "_The_ Killer Croc?"

Now, she hadn't raised her voice. If anything, she hushed her words. But she had been looking at the man as she spoke his name.

And he had been watching her.

He saw her ruby lips form the words.

Her body stiffened, but she didn't look away. She couldn't.

She and every other person in Gotham knew about Killer Croc. She'd seen blurred pictures of him in the papers, his evil deeds described in the news, and his reputation definitely preceded him.

He was a known Falcone muscle man.

And he was still staring back at her.

"Cathy!" Lucy yanked on her arm and pulled her round to face her. "What the hell are you doing?! Don't _stare_ at him?! You nuts lady?!"

"I have to sing." Catherina was running on dark instinct now. She didn't know it, but she was hatching a plan. A very stupid and dangerous plan. "Right now."

"Well, sure, there isn't anyone up there right now so- hold on!"

_Before anyone could stop me I was on that stage, stood at the front, holding the mic and hissing secret instructions to the band. The hairs on my arms stood on end and my heart was hammering in my chest. _

Catherina took a deep breath and calmed herself through the musical introduction to a song she hadn't yet sang in public. She turned to the table with Eric and Killer Croc on it, and nodded. She released the mic on the stand, and swayed her arms and body to the music.

"I put a spell on you. Because your mine." She sang it husky and full bodied. She rolled her hips, lips and eyes with the music, finding her gaze turning to look at the table with him on it. Even with the lights on her, she could see he was watching her and ignoring whatever Eric was trying to tell him.

It was him.

He was the one.

_Everyone feared Killer Croc. My only other option was that pig Denny the fist. I would probably turn up in a ditch being his woman, after doing horrible things with him. I couldn't do it. But Killer Croc? No one would ever touch me again if I was his woman. But I was still scared, even as I sang. This man was a mass murderer, one of the deadliest hit men in all of history, and what he did to his victims...could I really do this?_

Catherina finished her song with a ballad style finish, powerful and loud. As the song finished the audience got to the feet and applauded her. She blushed at their response, having not expected their enthusiasm. She hadn't sang that song for them, after all. She turned coyly to see if he was still watching. It was then he got up from the table and took a brown paper bag from Eric. He looked in her direction as she stepped off the stage, then headed for the exit.

Catherina tensed up then. Her target was getting away from her! She ignored how her legs and pelvis screamed at her for moving this much, and blanked her excited blonde friend. She pushed her way through the crowd of applauding people to the back door. He literally stepped out of it a minute before her, and he was already down the other end of the alley.

"Señor! Wait a moment! Señor!" he stopped at the end of the alley and turned to look over his shoulder at her. She smiled gently and walked towards him.


	2. Chapter 2

_Catherina tensed up then. Her target was getting away from her! She ignored how her legs and pelvis screamed at her for moving this much, and blanked her excited blonde friend. She pushed her way through the crowd of applauding people to the back door. He literally stepped out of it a minute before her, and he was already down the other end of the alley._

"_Señor! Wait a moment! Señor!" he stopped at the end of the alley and turned to look over his shoulder at her. She smiled gently and walked towards him. _

Only to find herself shoved suddenly against the back alley wall. "What?!"

"You looked pretty sexy tonight miss lady in red."

Oh god...it was Denny... "Sing that for me did you?"

"No!" Catherina banged against his chest hard, trying to push him away from her. But he was bigger and stronger than her. "I-I sang it for Señor Croc!" She yelled, wishing she'd brought her handbag and that gun with her has he back handed her face, hard. She screamed and fell to the floor on her side. The floor was unforgiving as she collided with it, and her whole body shook with foreboding dread. It was going to happen again. He was going to rape her. Adrenaline coursed through her veins and she fisted down the front of her dress, flipping out the switch knife and holding it at arm's length from her. Denny looked down at it with his dark eyes and ran a hand through his messy black hair. He just smirked at her.

"OOo, looks like there's some fight in this bitch. You think that little prick is going to help you? Here, let me show you a real weapon."

"No!" She screamed, lashing out with the knife. He just laughed and kicked it out of her hand. Catherina fell with the force of it to her side on the floor, looking up at him in horror.

It was going to happen again.

Denny laughed down at her trembling form and started undoing his belt and fly before her. "I've got just the thing to shut you up."

"Oh Denny." The scruffy man bolted stiff and Catherina dared to look up from her curled up position on the floor. Stood behind Denny was the tall man in the rain coat. Looking up at him like this she could make out the gleam of his amber eyes...there were black slits for pupils in them...and they were looking down at her. "You wouldn't be about to do that disgusting thing in front of me, would you?"

"N-no." Denny pulled his fly back up and backed away from the tall spectre nervously.

"After all, I might get confused and think it's an _horderve _and whip it off."

"I didn't realise you were there." Denny chuckled nervously with his arms open, clearly trying to look none threatening to the big guy. "Listen, I'll wait until you've gone."

"Oh? To do what I wonder?" Croc glanced over the whimpering woman. Catherina sat up against the wall, knees against her chest and arms clinging to them tightly. She looked a far cry from that sensual woman he watched sing only moments before.

"Well you know how the boss works. He lets us have alone time with the girls." Denny looked down at the lady in red, and saw her gazing up at the tall maneater with desperate brown eyes. it made him nervous. "And it's my turn."

"No." Catherina clawed at the wall behind her to get to her feet. "Señor Croc, y-you just did a job, Si?" She gulped, and immediately felt in his gaze that she was not to talk about his work. "I-I saw you being paid just now. S-so you were successful in your work, Si?"

"Yes." He released a warning growl under his breath. "Is there a point here?"

"I'm a fan, Señor." She side stepped towards him, and away from Denny. His head tilted to one side again, regarding her.

"A..._fan_...?"

"Si. And I sang for you earlier to show my appreciation Señor Croc."

"What?" Denny screeched and glared at her. "Nice try, but Mr Corc is far too busy to give you a damn autograph." He yanked her arm hard, pulling her against his side. "Let the nice gentleman leave so you and I can have a little _chat."_ He was clearly getting impatient, and Catherina was about to lose her nerve.

"I do not _want_ to _ever_ 'have a little chat' with _you_." She hissed and raised her free arm to beat him.

_I thought if I could get a hit in whilst he wasn't expecting it, I could make a run for my apartment. only, my hand never connected with his face. _

When her wrist halted in the air, she turned to look at her disobedient fist. Croc had his large gloved hand around her wrist and his gleaming golden eyes on her face. "You fucking bitch! I'll make you sorry you..."

Croc pulled slowly on her wrist, pulling her into his body. Cathy went with the silent command and pressed her front against his. Only one arm hung back now, still in Denny the fist's grasp. One hiss from Croc, and it was soon free to join her other hand on his vast chest. "...Mr Croc?"

"You heard her Penny the pussy." Croc leaned over her shoulder and gave Denny a front row seat to the expanse of his fang filled grin. "She's a fan of mine. And I deserve a reward for doing that piece of crap in there another favour. Again. Of which, I wouldn't be doing if he wasn't 7th cousin to the head of the family." he pointed down at her with his gloved hand and chuckled at the very white skinned man. He looked about ready to wet himself. "Problem?"

"No Mr Croc sir. The bitch never said-"

"Now." He lifted his massive gloved hands and dropped them menacingly on her dainty little shoulders. "What do you _really _want?" She dusted herself off and couldn't stop herself from pressing harder against his front for safety. He was oddly warm...for a giant lizard man in a raincoat.

"...want?"

"That bullshit about singing for me. That was to get my attention and step in, right? Well I did. Now, give me a damn good reason for doing that before I take a limb as payment." He hissed deeply and lifted his hat up to sit properly on his head. What she saw made her question her sanity at that moment.

_Then I thought of Denny and all the other frequent Falcone thugs in the club, and the night before, and found my nerve. _

"I did sing for you Señor Croc. And I am very grateful you stepped in to save me just now. I..." she gulped, and shakily lifted a hand from his chest to point at her face cutely. "My name is Catherina Mendez." He narrowed his eyes at her and regarded her in a calculating way. It unnerved her thoroughly. She was clearly afraid, which was good. But...still she stayed in his presence. Why?

"You know who I am...and I don't like repeating myself. What-do-you-want?"

"I'm not very good with politics. Or lying. Or playing games." She gulped deeply and stepped backwards. Catherina stayed within his personal space though, to help make her point. She put her shaking hands together over her front. "So I think I'd look like an idiot if I did anything other than be honest with you Señor Croc."

"...can we be _quicker_ about it?" he growled, looking down the alley way and up to the roofs, as if looking out for someone. "I don't like being above ground like this."

"Do you have a woman Señor Croc?" he jerked, then turned to look at her.

"A what?"

"A woman." She closed her eyes, released a breath and then opened her eyes open with determination. "Do you Señor Croc?"

"My women usually come with a side of salad, if you know what I mean." He chuckled darkly at her, all his sharp teeth gleaming at her through his peeled back green lips. "But that's not what you meant, right?"

"No." She gulped again, hands fussing in front of her. "I mean a woman with which to have carnal pleasures with."

That seemed like the longest sentence in her life. She didn't think she'd manage to finish it without falling over or fainting. But she managed, and she stared into his amber eyes nervously, but with focus. "Because I need a man to protect me from other men wanting to...force their passions on me."

"Yes." He flashed a look at the club door. "I can see that." he shoved his hands into his pockets and leered over her. "I can see where this is going too."

"I would be loyal, a-and I would give you what you want in return for my protection." She put her hands in front of her in prayer. "Please let me be your woman Señor Croc. I would be obedient."

"You would?" he held his chin in thought and scratched it. that must appeal to him. "Totally obedient?"

"Si." She felt her belly flop. He was considering it. He was _actually_ considering it.

"Does obedient mean willing?"

"Si Señor." She stepped closer to him, almost against his front again, looking up at him with big brown eyes. "Totally willing."

"_Totally willing..._hmm." Croc cocked his head to one side and narrowed his eyes on her. "And does willing translate as willing to _participate_?"

"Si Señor."

"Because I've never been one for rape or controlling a woman enough to fuck her whilst she laid there and took it. If I wanted to torture women I'd just torture them. Or rip them to shreds." She couldn't restrain her body from trembling then, but she carried on regardless.

"Si Señor. I would be a good woman to you." She nodded at him and slowly tired to put her hands on his chest. He backed off and hissed at her, freezing her in place. She whimpered and held her hands up submissively. "Forgive me, I didn't mean to be bad Señor Croc."

He seemed to glare at her for a moment, before looking off to one side.

As he seemed to be lost in thought Catherina stood there patiently and obediently.

"You know what I look like?"

"You are reptilian, Si?" Catherina ran her fingers through her hair and tucked it behind her ears. Instead of using words Croc responded by opening his coat to her.

Oh boy was he reptilian.

He had thick scales like a crocodile, dark green all over except his torso and chest, neck and face. She couldn't speak for the rest of him, as he was wearing large black suit trousers and the baggy raincoat. He was rippling muscles and scales all over. He then lifted his hat off his head to show her his face. He looked almost human, except for the green crocodile scales, big amber eyes with black slits, and slightly protruding mouth. His jaw was very defined as it held an arsenal of sharp teeth. On top of his head he had a line of what looked like crocodile spikes like a Mohawk. It looked like they ran down the back of his neck and his spine too.

She remembered thinking he'd be hard to kiss with that mouth. She could definitely believe the rumours that he ate his victims with those teeth...

"You still wanna fuck me now princess?" He snickered at her, replacing his disguise.

"Si Señor Croc." A shaking Catherina stepped towards him again and bowed her head. "If you will have me, and protect me as we discussed. I will always obey you, be willing and be good to you. I will be a good woman, Señor Croc."

"Interesting." He chuckled and started heading for the club door. "You're survival instincts are greater than your feelings of disgust for my body. If you're that willing, then who am I to turn down free sex?"

"Then it is a deal?" she clasped her hands together and beamed up at him, following him back into the club.

"Yeah, deal. No bragging though."

"No Señor."

"I'll tell your boss now. Go home and wait for my orders."

"Si Señor. Thank you." She bobbed her head in respect and hurried away from him.

Her dress was covered in dirt so she had to avoid any of the paying clients and slip into the dressing room. She managed to shower and change without being harassed, and the Falcone men seemed to stare at her in disgust as she left the club.

Was it really that simple? Had she done it? Was she finally protected against the Falcone men raping her?

But what had she agreed to to secure her freedom? And would it be worth it...

Killer Croc was a super villain, a murderer and potentially worse than any of the other men in the club. But he said he wanted her participation and he wasn't interested in rape. Surely that was a good sign?

A good sign, for the lesser of two evils, that is.

_I ran home and jumped in the shower, again. I still didn't feel clean. But at least I had some sort of hope now. Some sort of protection. I just had to make sure I kept Señor Croc happy. _

_The next few days were hell. During the day I waited for the phone to ring, other than my mother at 9. I waited for someone to knock at the door. I waited for a letter, anything. When I went to work I was on edge, waiting to see if any of the men there would make a move on me. Denny glared at me at all times. The other men looked at me with such disgust. Like they thought they were a much better option than Killer Croc. _

_By the fifth day it was obvious that Eric had told everyone that they would be in big trouble with him and more importantly with Killer Croc if they tried anything with me. I was glad. But I was also scared. Señor Croc hadn't contacted me since we struck the deal. _

_By day 7 I could tell the men were getting on edge. Denny seemed to appear near me and try to enquire about my 'budding relationship' with 'the big guy'. I brushed him off saying it was private and I was told not to talk about it. _

_On the 8__th__ day Denny blew me a kiss before the show. I was started to get very skittish, and started wearing my switch knife again._

After she finished singing her act she lowered from the stage, wearing a sexy little chiffon cocktail dress. It had no sleeves and the corset design of the top half pushed her breasts together. Her nails were an elegant length and ruby red, like the rest of the outfit. Her heels were very high and made her honey tanned legs look longer. She had her usual red lipstick on and smoky eyes. Catherina sat next to Lucy and saw her looking very worried.

"What is wrong Lucy?"

"Listen Cathy, my Finny heard Denny talking with his boys. He thinks this Killer Croc thing is a joke or something. Like you gave him one in the alley way in exchange for him coming in and telling the gang to keep their hands off you." Lucy grabbed her Latino friend's hand and patted it. The way Lucy spoke, it was like she spoke with butter in her mouth. She just didn't realise that she melted it with how crude she was at times. It certainly threw Catherina off her stride in their conversations some times. But not this time.

"I made a deal with him. like you said, I got a man who could protect me." Lucy smiled sadly at her.

"Listen, this is Killer Croc we're talking about. He would rather eat a woman than fuck her, and everyone knows it. Besides, it's been over a week since he's been here to see you. I'm just saying it was a good plan but it's worn off now."

"You don't believe me?!" Catherina looked around the club, seeing that the leering looks from her 'fans' were back. They didn't believe her either. "I didn't make it up. I am Señor Croc's woman now!"

"Geez Cathy, no one believes you." Lucy shook her head, her look concerned for her friend. "I just saying you might want to sneak off now whilst there are more acts to distract the guys. And avoid Denny if you can. Or...make a deal with him?"

"I will _die_ first." She hissed, her Spanish rage bubbling over.

"What's this talk of dying?"

A chill ran down her spine.

Denny the fist, clad in his usual scruffy black track suit, stubbly beard and messy black curtains, appeared behind her...again... "Sweet things like you should talk about things like that. You have so much to live for." he chuckled, and blew her a kiss, making waves of nausea tear through her.

"What do you want Denny? You know I belong to-"

"Killer Croc? Don't make me laugh tuts." He snickered at her, and suavely offered her his arm. "Shall we have that little chat now?" he smirked, and his intense gaze made her know she didn't actually have a choice in that.

Catherina was frozen to her seat. She didn't realise it but her hands were digging into the chair to keep her there. "I'm prepared to talk about making an...arrangement?"

"Maybe that would be a good idea?" Lucy tried to help. Hell, she _thought_ she was helping.

"**I belong to Señor Croc." **

_I had felt many things since that first night of picking myself up from the dirty alley way. I had felt disgusted in myself. Ashamed. Worthless and powerless. I blamed myself to start with, for not being able to stop them. Now I felt something else. I felt rage. I jumped to my feet and glared down that vile man with all the fire I had in my belly. I was determined I really _**would**_ die first. _

"That she does."

Everyone jerked their mental trains to a stop at the sibilant sound of a tall man behind Denny. "You wouldn't be _bothering_ my woman again, would you Denny?" The trembling gangster turned to look between the high collar of the rain coat and the hat. Right into blazing amber eyes with tight black slits aimed at him.

"He was going to rape me with his friends." Catherina had never been so glad to see a serial killer in her life. Not that that was a common occurrence for her. She clicked her heels against the floor rapidly as she ran against his front and pressed her hands and face into his chest. "He said that you owning me was a joke." She felt his deep laughter through his chest before she heard it.

"Did he now?"

He moved faster than anything she'd ever seen.

Denny was on his back in the middle of the table quicker than she could turn in her ruby heels. He collided with it so fast, so hard, he spluttered through bloody teeth for air, and for mercy. Catherina watched him trembling there, holding onto the mighty fist that pressed him against the table. "Are you laughing now Denny?" the man whimpered and shook his head. "Oh? I thought jokes were funny?" Croc turned to look at the stunned woman. "No one's laughing. Must not be a joke after all. I'm damn serious." He growled with glee, leaving the man to be fussed over by his underlings. "You understand?" Catherina looked up at the colossal man.

Now she understood. That demonstration wasn't just to teach Denny not to touch his woman. It was to show Catherina what kind of man she was getting into bed with. There were no take backs.

_But I knew that already._

"I know this is serious. But I love the sight of him bloody like that." She hissed at him and cussed in Spanish. "Anda que te coja un burro!" She also didn't miss the chuckle coming from her new 'bo'. "You speak Spanish?"

"Na, but I get the gist of it." He snickered and bared an arm over her shoulders. "But I remember from a Spanish animal book that burro means donkey, right?"

Catherina burned and allowed the massive man to hold her to his side and walk her over to Eric Falcone's table. Immediately everyone with him left. "You stay." He pointed at Anya, who looked to her husband first. He nodded, and moved her to sit at his right. Croc left two seats between them in the circular table, and sat on his left. Just as Catherina was about to obediently sit next to him, his massive arm hooked her round her middle and swept her onto his lap. She stiffened to start with, not emotionally ready to be near a man's groin yet, but told herself she had to suck it up.

"Can I get comfortable?" She whispered to him, and he silently nodded to her. Gently putting her hands on his large shoulders, swivelled her pelvis round to sit across his lap, facing Eric and Anya. She forced herself to relax, and leaned against his front. He then placed his hand on her hip possessively.

_As much as I didn't ever want another man to touch me again, I needed this one to do just that. Showing his ownership of me in public like this would dispel any doubt of be belong to him. This way, the likes of Denny and the three that raped me would never dare try to rape me again. _

Catherina slowly put her arm around his shoulders, and rested the other hand on his chest. "Is this comfortable for you Señor Croc?"

"Yeah. Now sit pretty and don't listen to what we're talking about."

"Si Señor Croc."

That was impossible.

It's the don't talk about the elephant in the room principle. When you're told _not _to do something, you do it even more.

They discussed how lot's of their 'deals' were being interrupted by batman swooping in and seizing men and shipments. They also discussed Falcone business regarding their recent addition to the family. Someone called the Joker. He sounded like a child's entertainer to her, from the way they discussed his tactics. Using blow up balloons, laughing gas and painting clown faces everywhere? Who could take this guy seriously?

Catherina caught Anya's gaze as she lifted from the table gracefully. She wore a long black evening dress with long sleeves and a diamante cluster between her breasts in the fabric. Her long raven hair was taken up high in a pony tail, and then her waterfall of ebony locks curled so her hair ripples down her back.

This woman was elegance on legs.

She politely enquired if anyone wanted a drink.

"I'll have another single malt dear." Eric handed her his glass and turned to Croc.

"I'll have a water." He turned and looked down at his property. She was nuzzled to his front calmly. It looked odd, having a woman on his lap like she belonged there. Just plain weird. "You?" she blinked a few times before she realised she was being addressed.

"Oh, a water for me to please. Thank you."

"You look like you could use something stronger." He chuckled at her, loving how she tensed on his lap, then relaxed again through her sheer will to do so.

"I don't drink alcohol Señor. My father was a drunk so I don't like it."

"Interesting." He chuckled and nodded to Anya, letting her know that two waters would be fine. "You say _was_ a drunk. He reformed or dead?" she stiffened again, and he smirked down at her. "Dead then?"

"Si."

"Interesting."

_It seemed that they were taking a break from business whilst they waited for their drinks. Eric was checking his texts and emails on his mobile, and Croc was checking on me. _

Croc slowly, loving how she flinched with the movement, lowered his covered face to her ear. His hot breath beat down on her cheek and hair. Just as slowly she turned to face him, not knowing what to expect. Her big brown eyes were wide and she visibly gulped. "You are _very_ interesting." Their faces were very close, and she couldn't stop herself from staring at his mouth. He chuckled deeply and grinned to give her a better look at his teeth. "I'm going to fuck you tonight."

Her whole body tensed. But she didn't move. She didn't speak. She didn't look away from his smirking mouth. All those teeth... "And you're going to participate. Yes?"

"Si Señor." She nodded at him.

"Good girl." He widened his grin even wider. "I've brought some tools with me to help."

"Tools?!" she yelped before she could stop herself. He barked a laugh at her, eerily rubbing her back with the hand he had on her hip. The other lifted her chin to look at him in the face better.

"_Si, Señorita." _ He mocked her, and held her gaze with his big golden eyes. "Nothing kinky of course. Just...useful things." Croc started to turn his head to end the conversation. As his hand left her chin Catherina acted on impulse. She grabbed it with her free hand and pressed it to her cheek. She shifted on his lap to cross one leg elegantly over the other and pulled herself closer to him with the arm around his neck.

_I had his full attention then. _

"Such as?"

"Like I said, _useful things._"

"Like condoms?" he blinked at her, and chuckled quietly. He didn't want to broadcast this conversation. Secretly he was quite excited about the prospect of giving this hot woman a damn good screwing, but he wouldn't tell her or anyone else that. he had a reputation as a nasty bastard to keep up. And women used things like your desires against you if you let them. If he wanted to keep her under his thumb, he had to make sure she knew who was boss at all times. "Because I bought some large ones. After the night I became-"

"Mine?" He narrowed his eyes on her, seeing if she would try to question him.

"Yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. But 8 days...i was worried you changed your mind." She released his hand, but he kept it against her cheek. With her free hand she tugged playfully at his closed raincoat.

"I was busy." He ground out. "Also needed to make sure I had a place."

"A place?"

"_Si."_ He mocked her again, chuckling at his own joke. "Unless you want me to fuck you stinking of the shit in the sewers?"

"Oh, a place to shower and such." She smiled her ruby lips softly at him. "You could have showered at my place. I wouldn't have minded."

"I do."

And that was the end of that line of questioning. But she wanted to keep him talking. Talking to him made him seem...more human. Less scary.

Not much less mind you, with those fangs looking at her. Catherina brushed a stray lock of her bangs from her face and looked at that mouth again.

"Were you at 'your place' before you came here tonight Señor Croc?"

"Yes." He smirked at her. From the look in his gleaming eyes, he was very entertained by her. Maybe that would work to her advantage. He seemed to like it when she tried to flirt with him. Out of amusement or actual arousal she couldn't tell. Either way, it would be better than making him mad.

"So right now...you're...clean?" she gulped, shifting on his lap against her will. "I mean showered...and such...?"

"Are you?" He flashed a look around them, seeing that Anya and Eric had opted to hush talk with each other at the other side of the round table, rather than interrupt them.

"Si. I showered right before the show. The last thing I did before I got dressed and onto the stage." Her voice was wavering in an innocently embarrassed sort of way. She hoped she didn't sound too nervous or weak to him. she needed him to be interested.

What she didn't know as he absolutely loved the curious choir girl routine she was working. it just made him want to eat her up...so to speak...

"Then after I've conducted business here, we'll leave."

"For your place or mine?"

"Yours." He licked his lips, and almost regretted the movement as soon as he did it. that is, he would have, had he not seen her look at his mouth again.

At first he thought she was freaked out and scared of his armoury of a mouth, like everyone else. But there was a certain look he wasn't expecting in her deep brown eyes. And her ruby lips parted in that soft 'oh' sort of way.

"Is your mouth clean?" he narrowed his eyes at her, still partially grinning. She trapped her bottom lip between her glossy white teeth, and she was leaning in.

He stared at her.

Was she really about to try and kiss him?

_I was so scared of this man. He was terrifying in his size, his presence, and his appearance. But he was so powerful. There was something primal about him. and he was so strong. And he was so feared. Something about having that man look at me with such...__**hunger**__ did something to me. _

Catherina shifted on his lap again subconsciously, but consciously _felt_ his response stirring beneath her.

"Do it. I dare you." She flashed her eyes up to his, trying to see if that was a come on, or a threat. She started weighing him up, seeing how brave she could be, and questioning why she wanted to kiss him. Catherina tested the water by lifting her hand from his chest to caress the side of his face with the back of her fingers. He growled, and she flinched, thinking she'd crossed the line. But after the initial shock, she realised it wasn't an angry growl.

She totally forgot they were in The Blue Moon club, with her boss at the other side of the table trying not to look at them.

At that moment they were alone in the dark, with white hot urges vibrating between them.

This was different. She'd never felt this way about anyone before. The mixture of fear and excitement forced her hand.

The hand that traced his face moments before smoothed around his neck to join the other hand. She didn't have to make the last move herself. His hand was still cupping her cheek. His gloved fingers slipped back into her thick black hair, round the back of her head and pulled her mouth against his.

Catherina's cheeks burned as they kissed. She fisted the coat at the back of his neck. His lips were very smooth. Something she hadn't expected. She felt his teeth, and yes they were larger than a normal mans', but they didn't cut her as she kissed him. His tongue was larger than she'd been expecting. Not wider, but longer. It quickly slipped into her mouth and dominated hers. His other hand pulled at her back, pressing her body hard against his. She could feel his erection pressing against her, and in that short red cocktail dress, and all the times she'd readjusted over his lap, her panties and his trousers were the only barriers between his stiffening cock and exactly where he wanted to put it.

And for the first time in over a week, the prospect of that action didn't terrify her.

He pulled away first, putting his hands on her shoulders and forcefully holding her at arm's length. He cackled at her tousled expression, and turned to look at the nauseous looking Eric Falcone and his wife. "The sooner we finish our business, the sooner we can continue that thought." He chuckled at her again, then pulled her back against his front. He handed her her water, downed his own glass, then turned smugly to the lesser Falcone general. "The next shipment?"

"oh, right." He chuckled nervously and pulled an envelope from his expensive suit jacket. He handed it to Croc and nodded at him conclusively. "Here is the location of the next drop. Payment on the successful changing of hands, as usual."

"Of course." Catherina blinked as he took the glass off her suddenly. "And that would be our business concluded." He put her glass down on the table and grinned down at her. "Go get your things."

"Si Señor Croc." She slipped off his lap and brushed her dress down. She hesitated, feeling colder now she wasn't against his front, burning in passion. Catherina nodded when he raised a brow at her, and walked off to the dressing room. Lucy was pacing back and forth in there and positively jumped out of her skin when she saw her friend walking calmly up to her.

"The hell did you do?!"

"Hmm?" Catherina decided not to change. She wanted to look sexy for some reason, and the sweats she turned up in tonight wouldn't send the right message. Soccer mom versus red hot mistress? She stayed in the heels and dress. There was also the consequences of making Croc wait around for her, that didn't bare thinking about. She packed her day clothes into her handbag and saw Lucy was still staring at her. "What?"

"You were serious!? You made a protection deal with _Killer Croc?!_"

"Si."

"You're not even going to turn up _in pieces_ with that guy. I mean, I thought he was going to bite your face off earlier!" She screeched, grabbing the younger woman's shoulders and shaking her. "I have $50 on me. Take it, get a bus or something out of Gotham. Just _run_ girl!"

"No." Catherina said calmly, removed her friend's hands and put her handbag over her shoulder. "I am Señor Croc's woman. I am going to go home with him and make him as happy as I possibly can."

"But-"

"You saw how he reacted when he saw how Denny tried to put his hands on me." She hissed, anger ebbing from her in waves, making Lucy close her bubblegum pink lips. "That Bastardo will never put his hands on me again. Do you know how good that feels?"

_At the time I couldn't understand why Lucy was yelling at me. Killer Croc was like any other man when it came to what he wanted from a pretty girl. He wanted sex. But he at least had rules. And he was fiercely protective. For the first time since I was gang raped, I felt safe. I wouldn't admit it, but he stirred feelings inside of me. Despite his reptilian appearance, I found the raw power of the man, his muscles and his penetrating eyes very...attractive. _

"...but Cathy, at what cost? You've traded one monster for another." She begged her. "And this monster just _might_ eat you!"

"No. Not if I am a good woman to him." her mother accent became heavier when she was angry. She even started gesturing with her hands like her mother did on a rant. "He may look monstrous, but all men are equally monstrous to me. He just wears his fangs and scales on the outside." She tried to make a move for the door, but Lucy side stepped her.

"But how can you willingly let _him_ touch you?!" The blonde stared at her with watery baby blues, waving her manicured hands at her friend. "He's so-he's so-"

"He's _so_ my man. He is big, strong, and seems genuinely attracted to me. Sure he teases me for speaking Spanish, but that is simply verbal banter. And think what you want. He is more attractive to me than any of the other men in this place. Especially Denny the pussy fist." She hissed, grabbed her friend's shoulder and pushed her aside as gentle as she could. "I was weak enough for those men to overpower me. But that did not make them strong. That made _them_ pathetic, not me." She walked up to the door and grabbed the handle. "Like my Mama always said. A true man does not need to force a woman. She will come to _him_. And Killer Croc is the most powerful man I have ever seen. I look forward to having a powerful man between my legs for once!"

_I was angry. I over reacted and screamed at the one friend I had. But I meant every word. She had tried to set me up with Denny, knowing how much of a pig he was. She thought she was helping. But I didn't care. _

Catherina yanked the door open, fully intending to power storm out of the dressing room having had the last word.

Only to find Killer Croc stood there.

"You were taking too long." She blanched, wondering if she was in trouble. Then she noticed his shoulders shaking. She peered under his hat and saw he was smirking down at her. "I told you to get your things, not have a bitch fight."

"Perdóname Señor Croc. I didn't mean to keep you waiting, I just-"

"Yes, you were just coming with me. To have a powerful man between your legs. Correct?" He smirked at her, seeing her cheeks burn with embarrassment. "You were yelling."

"Si, I lost my temper. I am very sorry for keeping you waiting. Shall we?"

Croc turned his insanely gleeful grin to gleam at the blonde. The message was clear. And it involved her silence.

"Let's." He lifted his arm up, and she obediently walked under it. As soon as she was in position his arm lowered around her shoulders (not a difficult feat from his height). He walked her out of the club, and they both noticed the way everyone stared at them. Most with curiosity, disgust and anger. Some with worry. But everyone looked away when it looked like they were going to get caught staring.

As they left the club Catherina found herself facing a black van. Croc opened the passenger door for her. She whispered her thanks and got into the van. He drove her down familiar roads until they were outside her building. Her apartment was on the top floor, and she started to worry about how they were going to get up there without Killer Croc being seen. Surely he wasn't going to just walk through the main reception and into the elevator?

Yes he was.

They did just that.


	3. Chapter 3

As the lift doors closed he turned and chuckled down at her with that sibilant voice of his. "This is a Falcone owned building. I've been here before when I've had to terminate a rat. They know me well. And I'm sure all the family will know my woman lives here before long."

"I see. That means you can come and go as you please?"

"Yes." The lights moved over the numbers as they ascended.

"So..._will_ you come and go as you please?"

"Yes."

"...regularly?" he inclined his head ever so slightly. The Spanish beauty was blushing. Clearly she was afraid of him, but it seemed she wasn't afraid of the prospect of his visits. "Because I'll be better if we meet regularly."

"You mean your cunt will stay nice and wide for me?" she flinched at the vulgarity of his tongue, which just made him hackle with mirth. "Depends how good you are."

"I'll work hard to please you." She nodded with determination. He chuckled at her.

"We'll see. I don't need to tell you what I'll do if you break our deal."

"I understand." The ping of a bell indicated they had arrived at the correct floor. The door opened and Catherina popped her head out. The coast was clear and she led the way to her apartment.

_All I could think was how glad I was I'd tidied up the apartment that morning. _

"Do you?" he followed her through the door and glanced around it. It was covered in browns and creams. Very modest colours he thought. This was a glamorous woman on stage. Yet her home was so...modest.

There were no extravagant ornaments, no gaudy paintings or damn yappy small dogs that lived in a handbag. He couldn't see one fluffy stuffed toy or any sign of the wealth that came with her job.

"Si. I know how you dispose of people. But I'm not worried."

"Oh?" He stopped in her living room and scanned the place. The TV was a grand size, but it was build into the wall. It came with the apartment. "Why do you feel so safe then?" he continued the conversation as she disappeared into what was either the bathroom or the bedroom. He was content for now to look around the apartment. after all the hits he'd done, he liked to scope out their home first. It told you a lot about a target. What motives they have, what desires drive them. Where they keep the nice bourbon and firearms.

This apartment was not what he expected. She'd been here long enough to move in her belongings. So where were they? His eyes fell onto a receipt on the coffee table. He inspected it and found lots of mundane items. Kettle, toaster, cutlery, toiletries and groceries. Why wouldn't she just bring a kettle with her from her old home? He spied another receipt, and this one was much more expensive in its items and totals. They were all designer dresses, costume jewellery and shoes. But the card listed at the bottom belonged to the club.

He returned the receipts to their original position on the coffee table.

"Because I want to do whatever you want me to do. I want to please you!"

Catherina hurried around the bedroom, making the bed and stripping out of her clothes. To her horror she was wearing 'comfortable' underwear. That wouldn't do. She dug through her bedside drawers for something more along the lines of 'sex kitten'.

If she was going to do this, she had to do it properly. She didn't know what he was doing in the living room, but it was giving her time to prepare.

Croc took off his hat and coat and laid it over the arm of the chocolate brown fabric sofa. It was then he spied the photograph on the small cabinet under the TV. Catherina was in the picture with an older woman, with the same high cheek bones and deep brown eyes. Her hair had grey streaks in it, but it was clear that she was the source of Catherina's beauty. So family was important to Catherina? He could use that. her father wasn't in the picture, but he already knew why.

It was then he realised what else was in the picture. The two women in the picture wore very basic jeans and summer vests. The background was a small terraced house in the queens, and the picture looked to be recently taken.

That was why she had to buy all new home appliances, and why there was so little in material possessions in the apartment. She clearly came from poverty.

So she wasn't a spoilt rich girl that he'd have to dominate. She was street wise enough to know not to cross him. good.

"I'm getting bored." He lied.

"I'm coming Señor Croc."

"Not yet you're not." He muttered to himself, pulling a small black carry bag from his coat. The door opened and he turned to face her.

Oh she was more beautiful that he'd ever imagined. This last week all he could think about was seeing her naked, feeling her writhing all around him. but seeing the real thing was better than his fantasies by a long shot.

She was only 5.6ft, but she had a voluptuous figure. Her shoulders were strong, her breasts were ample and well rounded. Her body tapered gently to her waist, before her hips curved round and down her supple legs. Her skin looked like it was honey kissed, from her Spanish heritage clearly. Her hair fell over her shoulders in waves and her fringe and bangs framed her feline face perfectly.

She'd removed her makeup and stripped to her underwear.

It was pink...

His hungry gaze faltered as he looked at her pink lacy bra and french panties. This must have toppled her nerve, as her arms wrapped around her toned middle.

"I...it's the sexiest underwear I own. I-"

"Understood. Now stand there and take it off for me." Croc's lips spread wide and he licked his lips at her. Her cheeks flushed, but she nodded and reached behind her back. Almost in sync with the sound of her bra clasp clicking open, he unbuckled his belt. His belt and trousers fell to the floor immediately after her bra did. His hungry golden eyes watched her hungrily. Her breasts were just as rounded as they were in the bra. But now he could see the darker shade of her pert nipples. They jiggled as they were released and hardened as soon as they met with the cold air of the apartment. "More." He growled, but didn't advance on her just yet. Her breathing had become less than rhythmic, and he wanted her willing. He wasn't going to ruin his own parade with haste. She wanted to lay with him. So let he'd let her.

Her hands were trembling as she pushed her panties down. Catherina carefully stepped out of them and waited for her next instruction. She felt so exposed, standing naked in front of him as his eyes travelled over every dip and curve of her body. He seemed to rest his eyes between her legs. It was a perfect V in shape, including her trimmed dark pubic hair. He could see the start of her pink folds, and from here he could _smell_ her. A perk of his animal traits. It took all his self control not to roar and jump her then.

Croc's mouth widened into a hungry grin, and he shoved down his boxers. He chuckled at the scared expression on her face when she saw the sheer size of him. His was already hard, his cock as green and scaly as the rest of him. His balls were a darker green, as was the round head of the shaft, which was a paler green, like his torso. It was monstrous in its girth and its length. It bobbed slightly as he walked towards her. She stumbled backwards, and he stopped in his place. Was she going back on her word? She swore to be willing and participate. She looked ready to run away screaming.

Fear echoed through her tiny body. She fumbled over her own feet as she retreated into the bedroom.

Flashes of those nameless Falcone thugs forcing themselves on her, in her, everywhere around her came to her mind. She saw the sceptical look he was giving her, and took a deep breath. Catherina shook it off and told herself this was the only way to make sure _that_ never happened to her again.

"M-my bed's this way." She smiled nervously and lifted a shaky hand for him to take. He cautiously walked up to the timid nymph, looking down from his height at her with steady eyes.

He wasn't a fool.

He knew this woman wouldn't throw herself at a creature like him had she not been through hell first.

He could see as plain as the brown in her eyes the pain and torture she'd been through. He knew she'd find the prospect of having sex with him terrifying.

He didn't particularly care, but he _did_ want to fuck her. Regularly.

Despite popular belief, Killer Croc was a patient man. You had to be, to be a successful hit man.

He'd be gentle for now, for the reward he'd get later when she was relaxed and would let him go wild with her.

Well, as gentle as _he _could manage anyway.

Croc took her hand and let her walk him to her bed. It was then she saw the small black bag in his hand. "A-are those the useful tools you were talking about?"

"Si." He teased her, hoping to lighten the mood. She was so tense it chilled the room. "Very useful tools." He sat casually on the bed, seemingly ignoring his throbbing erection and opened the bag for her inspection. "Monster size condoms, custom made for us bigger gentleman." He chuckled huskily at her, not reacting when she lowered to sit next to him. "Normal condoms won't go on, never mind withstand any actual use. I brought lube so it's less likely to actually hurt when I enter you."

"Really?"

"Lube is very useful for-"

"You would do that for me?" he turned and looked at the woman. He sighed. She really had been through the ringer.

First her father was a drunken bum, and then the first time she entered the big bad world, she was raped. How many times he couldn't tell. She was a beautiful woman...not that that meant she deserved it.

In his book of disgusting and bloody deeds, most of which he himself had perpetrated, there were only two things he wouldn't do, and would willingly murder someone for committing. Paedophilia and rape.

Those people were just broken, in his book. They deserved to be put down, hard and painfully...slowly...

Murder he was fine with, apparently.

"It won't exactly be any fun for me if you're screaming in my ears the whole time."

"Oh, right." She nodded at him and placed a nervous hand on his bicep. "Thank you anyway."

"And I brought this." He pulled a packet out of the bag. She boggled her eyes at it.

It was a big pink dildo. "To widen you."

"Oh..." she gulped. Even the dildo wasn't as big as he was. She would certainly need it.

"I can't exactly use my fingers." He wriggled his fingers before her, showing her the sharp tips of his claws. "Not without making a big mess."

She couldn't help it.

She'd been so tense, so afraid, so excited, all at the same time.

And now the big bad crocodile man was waving a pink dildo at her.

She burst into laughter and fell onto her back on the bed, hands over her face. "Never had that reaction before."

"S-sorry." Her shoulders shook, and her hands covered her face. So he couldn't see the point where she started crying though her giggles. "I-I just didn't expect you to be holding a pink dildo. Ever."

Croc chuckled himself and looked shamelessly at her body laid out before him. He grinned and crawled up the bed to lay on his side next to her. he was about to pry her legs open, when he saw her lips through her hands.

They were wet, and trembling.

"Are you crying?"

"No." She answered quickly, and turned onto her front. She didn't do a very good job of hiding the fact she was wiping her tears on the bed sheets. "Just got something in my eyes. must be some dust on the bed or something."

If Croc had been a kind man, he would have turned her back over, put the dildo down and asked her what was wrong. This woman had so many issues, and no one to talk to.

But he wasn't a kind man.

"Right. Well let's get on with this then. It's like riding a bicycle. Once you've gotten back on, you'll remember how to peddle and forget why you were afraid of it in the first place."

"You promise?" she sat up on the bed and looked at him with such a vulnerable look, he did question whether he should continue.

"Sure." His erection was starting to go down. He couldn't make this woman have sex with him, willing or not, it would in its own way be rape. She was in no fit state to be having sex.

And he didn't rape women.

He was just about to announce his decision, when she crawled towards him. Her eyes were steady, despite their watery twinkle. She knelt before him and placed her hands on his chest so gently, he had to look down to see they were there.

"Thank you. You're the best man I've ever met." he snapped his eyes back up to look at her. Before he could make a snide comment, her lips ghosted over his. "I'm glad I belong to you now." Catherina took a deep breath and lifted on hand to stroke his cheek.

"Good. Because you're mine." he growled deeply, tightening his grip on the dildo and leaning into her. "So I'll have my woman now."

Their lips pressed together.

Then their bodies.

Croc hungrily lapped at her mouth, her neck, her jaw, and used the power of his passionate kiss to push her down to the bed. She laid back for him, her limbs trembling as he crawled over her body. Her hands pressed palm down into the sheets and her knees knocked together. "Open your legs." It came out as a guttural moan, his intent and erection firm in their want. "Catherina." He snarled when she didn't comply. She blushed up at him.

That was the first time he'd said her name. There was such power and passion in his voice as he said it, it literally parted her legs for him. "Good girl."

Croc didn't dive straight in. He crashed his mouth against hers again. That seemed to distract her from everything else he was doing. He stroked the outside of her leg and hip with the tips of his fingers, kissing her hard and nipping at her lips and jaw. Her trembling eased off and she closed her eyes. When she started to arch into his touch, he smirked to himself.

Oh yes, patience has its rewards. It was safe enough now to leave her mouth.

"C-Croc!" she yelped as he dragged his thick lips from hers and down her neck. He rubbed his mouth between her breasts, loving how her breathing quickened from this action. He supported his weight over her with one hand, and cupped one of her ample mounds with the other. Holding her breast for his inspection, he hissed with glee at her.

Usually women didn't kiss Croc.

They didn't want to be near him if they could help it.

The only sex he'd ever had was with hookers, and he'd had to pay them BIG time for the pleasure.

Many a time he got to this point and they changed their minds and ran off screaming.

Catherina was whimpering and mewling at him. her hands timidly lifted from the bed sheets by her body and rested on his shoulders. "Croc." She moaned again, and he felt the noise vibrate through his body to his cock.

He growled deeply and dragged his tongue over her pert nipple. "Croc! I-you don't have to-" he opened his mouth wide and took as much of the breast into his mouth as he could. Well over half. He swirled the whole thing with his reptilian tongue and lips. He almost jerked when one of her hands slipped from his shoulder to the back of his head.

She actually liked this?

He smirked against her breast and lifted up.

"Next." He looked down at her, sending her a silent command. She blushed and took the hand from the back of his head to her other breast. She held it for him as he descended his lips onto her. She strangled a moan in her throat as he circled her nipple with his long tongue. He lowered his head and retracted his tongue at the same time, pulling the nipple into his mouth. He sucked it, making wet sapping noises as he did. She still held her breast forward for him, whimpering as he spread his lips wide and sank further and further over her breasts.

Catherina made a mental note to herself. Croc was a breast man.

He moaned against her, sending the vibrations rocketing through her chest. He spent his sweet time licking and sucking her breasts, migrating back to her neck and nipping at her skin there every now and then, before returning to her chest. He used this to distract her from his lower body. He moved from one knee to the next until he was knelt between her open legs. They were _wide_ open now, and her body quivered against the bed beneath him.

He began his decent down the valley of her breasts to the dip of her navel. By the time she realised he wasn't stopping he was already breathing heavily on her pubic hair.

"N-no! Señor Croc don't-please." He raised his head to look at her. at first he thought she'd finally taken all she could from this beast and wanted to run. But her hair was messy from her writhing against the bed. Her eyes were love drunk and her lips parted in her lusty panting. Her honey cheeks were blushing madly, and her body was trembling with something that was _not_ fear.

"Like riding a bike. Remember?"

"B-but!" Croc knelt up between her legs, folded his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes at her. at first she thought she was in trouble. Was he stopping? "I didn't mean stop! I-please don't stop!" she begged him, pushing her elbows into the bed to look up at him.

"I'm not going to." He dropped his gaze to her pussy again, smelling how moist and aroused she truly was. It was a rewarding and refreshing scent. It usually wasn't there in women that laid with him. "Time to get back on the bike Catherina." She trembled, and he flashed his curious eyes at her. "Catherina." He growled deep from his chest, and she trapped a moan in her throat.

So she liked it when he said her name then? He'd remember that. "Lay back."

"S-si Sen-ah!" He slipped his hands under her legs, held her hips and used his super strength to lift her pelvis clear off the bed. She squealed as she found herself practically hanging upside down in his hands, her legs bent forward at either side of his face. "C-Croc? What are you-aa!"

Like a hungry child would with a succulent watermelon, he lifted her pelvis to his face and sank into her. She screamed with pleasure as he dragged his long tongue through her pink folds and over her clit in one swipe. Her entire body shook with the pleasure of it. he repeated the action, then sealed his mouth to her lower lips. Catherina fisted at the bed in desperation. He sucked at her most intimate area, taking her folds into his mouth, sliding his tongue inside her and making sure to drag it against the sides of her as he pulled it back out.

He was doing it on purpose. He was inside her with something other than his penis, to get her to calm down.

And it felt damn good. He returned to lapping at her heavily, paying extra attention to her clit.

Catherina made a mental note. Croc wasn't a breast man. He was a pussy man.

He focused in on her pulsing nub and sucked on it on and off. she writhed in his grip, still suspended from her pelvis in his colossal hands. She couldn't stop herself from screaming his name when he swirled his tongue over her clit over and over and over. "Fuck!" she hissed and quivered all over. Her orgasm sparked through her from his mouth on her clit, through her body and to her brain. She was still panting and riding her orgasm as he lowered her back to the bed.

"Bet you never cum upside-down before?" he smirked, but not as maliciously as he usually did. She genuinely enjoyed that. Again, not something he was used to with women.

He took her distraction as the perfect opportunity to unpack the dildo and make it slick with lube. He held it in place with his right hand, and leaned over her with his left. "You still in there Catherina?"

"...Si.." she smiled up at him with a soft blush on her cheeks. Her eyes widened as she felt something wet and cold push past her folds and into her entrance. Panic sparked in her pupils and he had to growl at her to stop what would have been the start of an all out terror attack. Her brown eyes wavered as they looked up at him, but she understood.

"Good girl." He pushed more of it inside of her. She just stared into his eyes, as if his determination was enough to hold her mind steady. Her body twitched and squirmed against her will every now and then, and he signalled he had slid it all the way in, by sliding it all the way out again. "See, not so bad." Catherina cocked her head to one side and seemed to wake up.

He'd had an erection for ages now.

He wanted to have sex with her.

If he wanted to _take her_, he could have done so before now. She knew this. But the amount of time he spent on pleasing her, stopping to see what her reaction was at different intervals, making sure she was enjoying herself and still consenting to the act...no man had ever been so kind to her. He didn't have to do this.

She was so scared of having sex with him, because of the rapes. But this didn't feel wrong and dirty like that did. This felt warm. It felt good and natural. She didn't want to be afraid of this. She didn't want to stop Croc from enjoying himself because of what happened to her. Not when he had been so good to her. He'd not taken any pleasure for himself yet...

He sheathed it inside her again, looking away from her face to watch the pink object disappear into her pussy. His cock throbbed painfully, desperate to be the inside that wet heaven instead of the sex toy.

What he didn't expect was the sight of her trembling hand hovering over her groin. He was about to snarl at her not to stop him, when the hand didn't aim for the dildo.

Croc sucked in a breath as her fingertips tentatively traced down the side of his thick cock. The head was weeping with pre-cum, and he hissed at her. "Either do it properly or don't do it. _Teasing_ me will do nothing _good_ to my patience." He warned her with every intention of flipping her over and fucking her if she didn't comply.

"I want to please you Señor Croc." She whimpered trying to reach for his cock again. "You've been so kind to me, I just want to make you feel good too." He flashed his eyes from the fully sheathed dildo, and then to her desperate face.

"Alright." He pulled the dildo out and dropped it by his side. He ignored the startled look on her face when he ripped open a condom wrapper and slid the robber sleeve over his cock. He then used the lube bottle to add extra lubrication and very matter of hand-ly grabbed her hips and angled himself into position.

He pressed the tip of his cock between her folds, but didn't enter her just yet. He looked up to find her with her eyes closed and her lips pressed together. "Laying back and thinking of England is _not_ participating. That is not our deal." Croc grunted at her, waiting for her to open her eyes and look at him. "That's better." He crawled up her body, pushing himself inside her as fluidly as he could as he moved.

Catherina bit her bottom lip and looked to one side as he filled her up. He was very big, and she felt the pain of him stretching her.

In a second she was against the alleyway wall again, being pierced by those monsters. They shoved themselves inside her without any mercy, and ground her against the wall over and over again. **"Hay!"**

Catherina opened her eyes and looked up. She had pushed her hands against Croc's chest and pushed his body away from her. There were scratches on his chest, and his glare was very intense. He was pissed. "You're in bed having sex with _me, Killer Croc._ No one else. Want me to stop?" he hissed, waiting for her to say yes and thank him for his mercy.

"No, please don't stop." She whimpered and wiped her face with her hands as quickly as she could. "I'll be better, I swear. I'm sorry." She threw her arms around his neck and succeeded in pulling him flush against her, mainly as he hadn't been expecting it. "Please don't stop." Her voice was shaky with her tears, but her grip around his neck was absolute. "Please." She was begging. Downright begging.

"...be good...and I'll be nice." He whispered begrudgingly by her ear and finished pushing inside of her. The smaller woman arched against him, and her grip stayed firm. She held her legs wide open for him and didn't say a word. He reached behind his head and grabbed her wrists. She yelped as her hands were held above her head by one of his massive hands. His other hand steadied his weight as he moved. "Watch me." Her watery eyes fixed onto his and she nodded.

He moved slowly at first, pulling back only an inch or so before pushing back inside her. This would be so much better when he didn't have to worry about her freaking out on him. Then he could just enjoy the tight wet heat of her all around his cock. She did feel really good. But he couldn't stop staring into her haunted eyes. As it became easier to move in and out of her, and she appeared to grow accustomed to his movements, he started rolling his hips against hers with stronger thrusts.

A moan jumped out of her mouth and shocked her. "You liked that?" He growled, rocking into her and receiving a pleasured whimper for his efforts. "Good girl. Enjoy it." He purred deeply and licked her cheek. He picked up the rhythm of his rolling hips, and grinned as she started to let go. "Doesn't it feel good?"

"I-it does." She trembled and lifted her face, seeking a kiss. He growled and obliged her, crashing their lips together. She enjoyed kissing him.

He could only reason that her rapists didn't try and kiss her. It felt like it was the one thing they didn't try and ruin for her. "C-Croc!"

He purred her name against her lips, slipping his tongue into her mouth and chewing on every arduous noise she made.

She may not have realised she was doing it, but her legs wrapped around his waist, trying to pull him closer. Her hands raked at his back and she even started arching her body to push her back against his thrusts.

Now they were having sex.

The power of his thrusting was so great the headboard of the bed started leaving scratches and dints in the wall as it banged into it.

Her skin burned against his, her body bending and moulding around his form to get more of his cock inside her. Croc pulled his lips form her to watch her face as he pounded her into the bed. Her lips were parted ever so slightly as she whimpered and moaned with pleasure.

This was more than he ever got to enjoy with a woman.

It was worth being patient.

He knew he wouldn't last much longer, and really wanted her to cum again during actual sex. It would make this so much easier next time. He spied the dildo he swiped it before she could notice what he was up to. The reptilian Beast dragged his tongue over one of her nipples and up her neck to distract her. He pressed the button at the end of it and quickly shoved it between them. At the base of his cock and against her clit. "Wh-what's tha-tha! Gnnng." She couldn't control the tremors of pleasure as they assaulted her body. Croc pounding inside her, and the dildo vibrating against her tortured clit. It was too much for her little body to take.

"Be a good girl and cum for me Catherina."

Interesting. That did the trick.

Her dams burst and her body trembled with the power of her orgasm. Catherina clung to her lover as if afraid she'd drown in her pleasure. The feeling of her clamping down around his cock and her body writhing against him took what little control he had left. Croc hissed under his breath and emptied his load inside her, into the condom. He continued to thrust into her until he finished riding his own orgasm and stopped seeing stars. The reptilian beast looked down at his prize and shared her lusty look of gratification. "Good girl." He grinned down at her, cocking his head to one side as he saw she was smiling up at him.

"Thank you for being so kind to me. I will be better next time Señor Croc."

"I'm sure you'll relax sooner. If you know what's good for you."

He meant for it to come out as a threat.

It actually came out via a chuckle that made Catherina beam up at him and giggle. Croc stared at the woman beneath him. She was so beautiful. The thought of any man forcing himself on was...wrong.

Then again, if they didn't, he wouldn't have gotten her into this position with him. Quite literally.

Just as he was about to pull out she leaned up and kissed his lips. But this time was different. Her lips were gentle and tender as they pressed against his.

It was a lover's kiss.

He'd never had a lover's kiss before.

Not that he'd ever tell her that.

"You kept your end of the bargain." He pulled out of her as gently as he could and pulled off the condom. "Are you sore?" he tied the end of it and chucked it into a waste bin by the bed side.

"A little." Catherina sat up and put her hands on her knees. She could already tell he was leaving. He put the dildo and condoms into her bedside draw and instructed her to keep them there. "I will be better next time."

"I know." He could hear the concern in her voice. But this was Killer Croc. He wasn't the touchy feely type. He'd gotten what he wanted and he wasn't staying for 'cuddles'. "How long until you'll have recovered?"

"I should be fine tomorrow." She nodded her head eagerly. She reached for him, but the colossal reptile pushed off the bed and started to gather his things. That led him to the living room for his clothes. Catherina got to her feet and pulled a short silky black dressing gown on. She gingerly followed him into her living room. "I'm off work tomorrow too."

"Good. Rest up." He cleared his throat, finished the conversation and quickly dressed.

"When will I see you again Señor Croc?"

"When I want to see you." He pulled his large raincoat on and placed his hat on his head.

"Soon?" Catherina took a big risk and side stepped in front of him. She wobbled, but managed to stand her ground. "I would like to see you soon."

"Catherina." He growled darkly at her. He wasn't going to repeat himself to her.

"Alright." She nodded and smiled at him sadly. "Thank you for everything you've done for me so far Señor Croc." She walked up to him and tried to plant a kiss on his cheek, but he held her shoulders and kept her at arm's distance.

"I'll be in touch." He released her and within seconds he was out the door and down the hall.

And that was it. he was just gone.


	4. Chapter 4

_The next day I spent in my apartment. My mother came to see me and cooked me dinner, like she used to at home. Then she lectured me about losing too much weight and taking too long in finding a good husband. My Mama was very traditional in her beliefs. _

_She would not have approved of the arrangement I had with Killer Croc. _

Catherina did as she was told and rested up that day. She found herself wishing that the phone would ring, or a certain someone of a scaly build would knock at her door.

But her day passed without any event, other than her mother's nagging.

The next day she went to work, and wore another sexy little red number.

This outfit literally sparkled, from the ruby red high heels, to the shimmering tassel covered flapper dress. Her tights were dark with cross cross etching on them, and attached to red silk suspenders underneath the dress. It clung to her tightly packed breasts and hung down to her knees. The straps were thin over her shoulders, and her long gloves hugged at her biceps. She wore her hair down and in a waterfall of ebony waves, framing her smoky brown eyes and deep red lips. Catherina finished the outfit off with a red neck chocker, lined with the same tassels as her dress, and a red gem in the middle of it.

It was the classics night at the club, with gangsters, Al Capone wannabes, flappers and dames as far as the eye could see. So of course, Catherina had been instructed to fit the image. She sang a mixture of classic show tunes from the era and Jazz.

Half way through her act, she saw him.

Killer Croc stood in the shadows by the end of the bar, watching. Just watching.

Catherina felt her cheeks burn and her mood change. It changed the tone behind her voice and especially raunchy-ed up her jazz songs. She didn't even notice that the band had to change their pitch to match her husky tones.

And he just watched her.

After her encore of Big Spender, she bowed to her audience and stepped off the stage. Catherina didn't even try to sit at the entertainer's table.

She made her way straight over to her man.

Oh yes, _her_ man.

_All I had been able to think of since he left the other night was seeing him again. The last two nights I had slept without any nightmares. In fact, I had dreamt of him and the time we spent in my bed. All I wanted was for him to say my name again. With that deep growl that made me tremble and submit to him. _

"Good evening Señor Croc." Catherina stopped in front of him, not quite close enough to be in his personal space, but close enough. His eyes were gleaming through the shadow his hat cast over his face.

"Good evening." He snickered at her, which made her blush.

Well, what else was she supposed to say to him? yo motherfucker? Hows it hanging? Nice to see you again lover.

Were they lovers? Does one time qualify them as lovers?

She fussed over the front of her dress with her hands and chuckled nervously.

"Are you here on business Señor Croc? Or..."

"Or?" Croc smirked down from his towering height over her timid form. She was doing her best to appeal to him. Wearing yet another short dress, pushing her breasts up for his enhanced viewing and batting her eyes at him every now and then. He wouldn't tell her, or let her see so, but it was working. What he didn't understand is _why_ she was risking making an ass of herself to get his attention.

Nor did he care. This was fun. "Or what?"

"Or." She gulped and smiled nervously. "Perhaps you are here for...another reason. Maybe...to see..." he folded his arms over her front, and she lost her nerve. "-someone else."

"Who else but people in this fine establishment related to my _business_ would I be here to see Catherina?"

Oh he said her name.

Her knees felt weak, like all the fairytale damsels in the story books always did. Her handsome prince just wore scales instead of armour.

And he wasn't very charming either.

"Well, perhaps you came for the entertainment." She squeaked. But she didn't look away from him, or look like she didn't want to be there. She had made a bee line straight for him after all.

"Or." He leaned forward from his position against the wall until his shrouded face and gleaming eyes became inches from her own. "Perhaps I came to fuck you." His reptilian lips peeled over his teeth, showing a full mouth of sharp fangs. Her cheeks flushed and he saw her lick lips like she was dying of thirst.

"Perhaps Señor Croc, that's what I was hoping you'd say."

"Oh really?"

"Si." She stepped into him, making a move to kiss those hidden lips, but he pulled back.

"Sorry Señorita. I'm here on business." Catherina snapped back to her upright position and held her hands together over her front nervously.

"I thought you said-"

"I said _perhaps._" He snickered at her, in her face, and pulled away from the wall with his hands in his pockets. "I also said I'd let _you know_ when I wanted to see you. And right now, I don't." He walked past her without another word or jibe.

_My heart dropped through my chest to the floor. I had been looking forward to seeing him again, and he just brushed me off like a joke. _

_So I went to the dressing room, collected my bag and went home. _

If Killer Croc didn't want to see her, then there was no reason for her to stick around and let him find her sitting at the entertainers table alone all night.

She didn't particularly like the idea of Falcone's boys eyeing her up either.

_Even as I locked my front door, I felt burned by the snide way he brushed me off. so easily, like I meant nothing to him. _

It was then she looked up from her grumbling and stared at herself in the mirror.

Of course he didn't _care_ about her. He was a mass murdering hit man for the Falcone. He was using her for sex, and she was using him for protection. Why would he _care_ about her _or_ her feelings?

"He is not my boyfriend. He doesn't care for me, and I should not expect him to." She took a deep breath and sank into her small sofa. "I swap sex for protection. I need to keep reminding myself of that. Oh dear lord." She raised her hands over her mouth. "I'm getting paid for sex, but it's protection instead of money." The hands fell from her mouth to her lap and she looked down to her knees. "No wonder he treats me like a whore."

Catherina felt herself deflate as she undressed, hung up her dress and got ready for bed.

Part of her hoped the door would bang and he would storm in and show her he was only playing earlier, and he _did_ want to see her...

...but he didn't.

The next night she wasn't on the singing roster. It was dance night and she always did one night on her rota teaching flamenco and Paso Doble.

She put Killer Croc far out of her mind and made small chat with Lucy about a new line of eyeliner she just _had _to try.

"I can do the steps with my feet like you, but never the wrist thing."

"Oh, you mean flamenco hands? Practise Lucy." She giggled and clasped her lacy black push up bra with her matching French panties. She rolled her eyes at her blonde friend, trying to mimic her rolling wrists, and looking closer to having some sort of fit than dancing. Catherina pulled up a tight red and black flamenco dress. It had black lace across her breasts and straight over her lower shoulders. The dress hugged her voluptuous figure to her waist, then flared down to her ankles. There was a large triangular section missing from her right mid thigh downwards, falling it the traditional flamenco ruffles. All the hems were edged with the same black lace, and there were netted black roses over her red dress. Her bare neck and shoulders were decorated with her long wavy raven hair. It was taken back at the left side of her head and pinned with a black and red lacy flower pin. She styled her hair to come down from the pin to frame her right eye and rest nicely over her right shoulder.

"Here." Lucy zipped her up at the back and handed her a large black lace fan, and a black and red lacy choker. "We need to go out quick!" Lucy was dressed in a bubblegum pink army inspired dress, with the aim of teaching people the lindy hop and Charleston. Perfect with her image and personality.

"Si, I will be right after you." She nodded, finishing her makeup, smoky eyes and deep red lips. She then checked that her toes and finger tips weren't cracked, all deep red, and ready to go. She hopped into a pair of black buckle up dancing heels and hurried out of the door.

As they all lined up on the stage to do their opening act, all of the girls together, she saw him.

Killer Croc was stood in the same damn place as he was the day before. Shoulders back against the wall, arms folded, stood by the end of the bar in the shadows.

A fire bubbled in her belly, a rebellious and hazardous to her health fire.

As soon as the music started she stormed over to the front of the stage and threw her arms up into position. She waited for the guitars and drums to pluck and echo out through the club to announce her arrival to the stage. She then violently grabbed the side of her skirt and fanned it out to her side, stomping her heels dramatically like an ancient sensual tap dancer. Catherina had a fierce expression as she danced, as this flamenco was a dance of power. Her hips rolled with elegance, despite the vigour of her feet pounding a rhythm into the dance floor. Each wrist moved like water, twirling and gesturing like both violent torrents of the sea, and the tranquil beat of a bird flying through the magical feats she was achieving with the fan.

She would spin and her dress would dance around her.

She would throw her arms out and they would move independently from her arched body and powerful legs, never breaking their perfect lines from her shoulders.

Her eyes were like dark pools of female ferocity. And they were aimed at the reptilian man, who was staring back at her.

That didn't nark him however. It was when she stopped looking at him when she danced that pissed him off.

She finished her section off and returned to her spot on the stage. The music changed and Lucy did a comical little Charleston number incorporating knee wobbles, flicks and kicks. Afterwards the other Exotic ladies did their dances, tango, jive and even some foxtrot.

Then they waited until a wife of someone who was very to do within the Falcone organisation picked out someone to teach them to dance.

Catherina stopped glaring into the back wall when her name was called. It seemed the honourable Judge Carlson's wife wanted a lesson in flamenco. She was a sensible, practical woman of her late 50's, who very much enjoyed a night out. she was also a very good student. It didn't take long for the Spanish beauty to relax into her usual bright smile and kind ways and get the woman rolling her wrists near-perfect.

"What you must remember Mrs Carlson, is the flamenco is the story of a woman. She can be many things, angry, passionate, sorrowful, but always is she powerful and strong."

"Oh I rather like this Spanish dancing!" Mrs Carlson, who was wearing a rather respectable cream dress suit, mimicked Catherina's movements. "Did you learn this in Spain dear?"

"No Señora Carlson. I am American. My Mamá came to Gotham as a child with her parents and I was born here. But it was my Mamá who taught me how to flamenco." Catherina giggled and held her student's elbows. "Stronger frame Señora. Si, like that."

Catherina forgot that Killer Croc was even there. She managed to stay with the very wealthy Mrs Carlson for the rest of the night.

It was only at leaving time did she remember he was here.

She had changed into her jeans and a woolly brown jumper with an owl stitched into the front, with slip on black pumps. She had also taken off her makeup and brushed her hair neatly behind her ears.

So she was a little startled when she found him stood there by the exit, arms folded and eyes gleaming.

"You took your sweet time."

"I didn't realise I was keeping you waiting." She tried to keep her tone even and emotionless, but there was still a dangerous edge to it.

"I've been stood here watching you all night." Ooo, a pleasurable chill went down her spine at that. but she ignored it.

"You were stood watching me the other night, but you weren't here for me."

"Oh I see." He pulled away from the wall and opened the door for her. "We're still a little pissed about that are we Señorita?"

"No." She lied and walked through the door, holding her handbag and dross under her arm. "But you were displeased when I approached you before you were interested in seeing me again, so I thought better to wait for you to come to me."

"I think what you _meant_ to say was-" Croc dropped a hand onto her shoulder and jerked her to a stop. He then waited until she looked nervously up at him. "I was here on business last time, so you were waiting for me to let you know if I was here for _you,_ or not. Remember, I let _you_ know when I want you next." He then gave her a full grin of teeth, and was impressed when her expression didn't change. "I didn't think _you_ would be getting possessive over _me_, princess." She blushed then and snapped her head forward again. Croc grinned to himself. So she also liked the pet name...this woman was very interesting. "I also didn't realise you'd be so addicted to my cock after one go." He snickered at her burning face, seeing that might just be the case, and pushed her into a walk. "You know, I thought you were going to do something stupid tonight. Like 'teach me a lesson' by flirting with another man to get my attention."

"Why would I do that?" he was about to say, 'because you're apparently not as stupid as most women', when she dropped a bomb on him. "I know you don't care about me. I'm not your girlfriend. You've made that clear. Sure I missed you, but I know I'm just sex to you." she then carried on walking without him and stood patiently outside of his van. She then turned to look at him quizzically when he just stood there.

"You don't think much of men, do you?"

"When I meet a good man Señor Croc, I'll change my mind." She giggled at him then, despite the fact she just insulted him.

"I should be pissed at that." he opened the door for her and helped her into the van. "But I'm not a good man, and I'm going to fuck you again tonight, so I can't really complain."

"Si Señor Croc." They looked at each other inside the van, and started chuckling as he started up the engine.

"So, you're a glamorous performer, but a casual person." drove off and waved at her outfit. "Your home is less than extravagant too."

"Is that a bad thing?" he stopped at the traffic lights and looked sideways a her.

"Just an observation."

"Oh, Señor Croc, I haven't showered since this morning. I didn't know I was seeing you so-"

"So you need a quick shower. Fine." He set off again with the green light. "The shower is set to lukewarm, don't mess with the settings or I'll kick your ass."

Catherina blinked at him, then jerked in her seat to look out the van window.

They were heading in the wrong direction for her flat. "Oh yeah, we're going to my place."

"Oh." What else could she say?

It wasn't long before they were driving out to a certain part of town. Deep into Queen's Harlem and towards the docks. They drove between many tatty looking warehouses until they reached one at the very edge of the docks. It looked terrible from the outside, and she braced herself for somewhere empty and derelict inside.

When Killer Croc lifted her out of the van and led her inside, she was shocked by what she saw.

Inside the warehouse was a very plain, but clean and fully equip house. What were offices were now fully converted rooms, ranging from bedrooms, to weapons stores and storage rooms.

In the middle of the main floor was a heated pool, and a flat screen TV the size of her living room wall opposite.

The walls were painted a deep red, and the floors were all tiled cream.

"Catherina." She caught herself blushing and trembled internally as he growled her name again. Would she never get used to that? "This way to the shower."

"Si Señor Croc." She followed him obediently to a large set of stairs at the far side of the warehouse, up onto the second floor, and immediately turned left into a bathroom. There was a large bath in the middle of the room. It was wooden on the outside and ceramic on the inside. It looked like a luxury Jacuzzi rather than a bath, but that was apparently it's function. Behind it was a large glass walk in shower. Killer Croc was a large man, so it would make sense that everything in his home was selected to suit his size, from his home to his shower.

"I'll go get the bedroom ready." He stood in the doorway, about to make sure she knew not to be too long, when she turned and gave him a very interesting look.

"...Señor Croc..." she was blushing madly and fussing with her hands over her front. "I am very grateful you have brought me to your home. It is very grand and it is an honour to be here." She gulped and her dark honey eyes darted briefly to the bath. "I am going to have a shower anyway, but I wondered if..." she gulped again, and looked down, as if having momentarily questioned the logic of her request.

"You wondered what?" if it wasn't for the flustered look she was giving him, he'd just snap at her that he was a busy man and he'd brought her to his 'grand home' for a damn good fucking, not a tour.

"Well, if I were to have a _bath_ rather than a shower...I mean it's a large bath." She put a timid hand on the rim and looked up at him through her lashes subconsciously. "I mean, it is large enough that if you also wished to bathe, you could join me."

Cue the burning cheeks routine.

_I was not a forward woman by any means. The fact I had managed to pursue and succeed in persuading Señor Croc into this arrangement was strange enough. But propositioning him in this way? My Mamã would have fainted if she knew her daughter was suggesting such a thing. But I couldn't help it. Croc was right, I was addicted to him. All I thought about the last few days was seeing this powerful man again. Being in his home like this seemed to mean something to me, even if it didn't to him. _

"I showered before I came to the club." He peeled his thick green lips back over his sharp teeth and stalked back into the room. He knew exactly what she was suggesting, but he loved to tease his little Señorita. "I don't _need_ to bathe."

"Perhaps you would want to." She hated when he did this to her. Catherina may not have known Killer Croc for long, but she had started to see what pleasure he took from forcing her to be as forward as he was, and then mocking her for it.

_Despite this, I knew better than to ruin his fun. My single role in this relationship was to give whatever Señor Croc what he wanted. And if he wanted to tease me, then I was to let him._

"Why would I want to have a bath if I'm already clean?"

"Well, if you were the bathe when _I_ was bathing, perhaps I could...wash your back?" Catherina turned the tap, already set to lukewarm, and bent over slowly to push the plug in.

In front of Croc.

He stared at her backside in those jeans as she did this. What he wanted to know is if she had done that on purpose, or not. She stood up and pulled her jumper over her head. Croc hadn't been expecting that. He watched her with intense eyes as she started disrobing in front of him. if only she'd do it slowly, and facing him. then he could really enjoy the show. Surely she wasn't doing this on purpose...

"I have a stick with a sponge on the end to wash my back with."

"Oh." Was there anything she could say to get him in the bath with her, without bringing herself to asking him because she wanted to have 'it' in the bath? "A sponge on a stick cannot _massage_ your back too, can it Señor Croc?" He opened his mouth to answer and paused as she pinged her bra off. She was folding her clothing and dropping it on the floor as she went. She was in nothing but her jeans and her panties now.

"No, it can't do that." free to stare at her back Croc cupped the growing bulge in his pants. Damn. Intentional or not, he was going to fuck that little Spanish woman very soon. Her long raven hair shimmered down her back, and he could see the dip of her waist and the curve of her hips before they disappeared into her jeans. Croc shrugged his coat and hat off and pulled at his buckle. Catherina heard this and resisted the urge to smirk.

_That was when I started to realise that two could play this game. Where ask Señor Croc was trying to tease me into a fluster until I begged him, I was trying to make him lose his patience and throw himself at me. I never thought I'd enjoy a battle of wills, but I soon discovered I was in fact rather good at it. _

She shimmied out of her jeans and bent over slowly to retrieve them. This time she'd packed a pair of naughty underwear in her day bag, as an emergency backup set encase Croc turned up. She was glad she had, as she'd managed to change into a pair of newly purchased lacy red lingerie. The bra wouldn't be appreciated, but it seems Croc was very much enjoying the semi transparent thong she was wearing. And that was just from behind. He dropped his trousers and boxers to the floor and closed in on his prise. As she stood up again he put an arm on the bath ledge at either side of her, caging her between his rock hard body and the bath. "What kind of massage did you have in mind?" He whispered in her ear huskily, and had no shame in looking down her front at last. He slipped his claw tipped fingers down the side of her tong and pushed them down. In Catherina's mind, that was a big victory. She turned and looked up at him with big wanting brown eyes.

"Whatever kind you want."

They both moved. Their mouths smoothed together and Catherina found herself sat on the edge of the bath, legs apart and Croc pressed between them.

This was so different now. The fear she held was so faint compared to the desire she had for this beast of a man, she was able to push it out of her mind. She wanted to feel that wonderful rush of raw passion and that wave of content you felt afterwards. She wanted to be with this reptilian man, more than she wanted anything else in the world.

But she dare not tell him that. he'd laugh at her if she did.

Croc growled and pushed her backwards. She slipped into the water and quickly righted herself. Her brief dip under the water distracted nothing from her natural beauty. In anything, the sight of her thick wet raven hair running water down the valley of her breasts and the curve of her spine excited him further.

"I'll get the condom, quickly wash." He barked at her and scrambled out of the room.

She frantically grabbed some body wash from a bottle and scrubbed herself everywhere, particularly her delicate areas. She remembered how much Croc liked those, and what he did to them with his tongue. She just finishing rinsing herself off when Croc reappeared, he was sheathed and ready to go. "Are you ready Catherina?" he taunted her, climbing into the bath slowly.

"Si Se-"

Splash.

He was on her and kissing her with a burning need. The pace of this was much different to the last time. The last time they took their time, worked up to sex. Perhaps if she'd have thought about it Catherina would have anticipated the same happening again.

But the bubbling pit of her desire in her belly had over boiled and caused her to _need_ him, like she had _never_ needed a man before. It seems he was just as eager as she was, very much matching her seeking hands and hot lips. The water acted as a lubricant to their skin and scales, their bodies sliding against each other as they clung to one another. It was a very deep bath, with the water coming up to Croc's chest in the middle, with seating built into the sides of it.

It was then Catherina found herself wondering if this was a massive turn on to Croc, having sex in the water. He was a Crocodile man, after all. His frenzied hands smoothed all over her body, squeezing her rump, holding the back of her head to deepen their kissing, pinching her nipples and cupping her ample breasts. He kiss, sucked and nipped at her lips, jaw and neck, trailing down to her breasts and back up again. He lifted her in the water easily and dragged her against his throbbing cock. His Spanish beauty whimpered and held onto him when he dropped her into one of the side seats. He sat her on the very edge of it, and pushed her to lean back against the wall of the bath. At first she was worried, then she realised what he was doing and grinned lustfully at him. She even held onto his shoulders as he positioned himself.

"Ah, you weren't lying then." He snickered playfully at her as he drove himself all the way in in one motion. "You were ready for me."

"OH oh, C-Croc." She groaned and wrapped her arms around his neck. Water was slapping against their bodies and spilling over the side of the bath with their rapid grinding in the bath. But neither cared. "Croc!" she moaned his name again, and missed the way he looked at her when she did. She turned her head from side to side and arched into him desperately. His thick length pounded into her, sending pleasurably tremors through her aching body. She moaned into his hungry lips and caressed his face as they kissed.

This was something he wasn't used to. The cherished way in which she held him and embraced him as they made love or fucked almost shocked him into stopping.

She may know that _he_ doesn't care about _her, _but it was obvious that the same could not be said for how _she_ felt about _him_. It was evident in the way she looked at him, the way she touched him, the fact that she even _wanted_ to be with him in the first place.

He pushed that aside for now, not knowing how to even process that, and focused on the task at hand. "Oh Croc!" ah yes.

"Catherina." He growled into her neck and felt her whimper against his shoulder. He fucked her even harder, sending waves of water over the side of the bath as he did. "Such a naughty girl you are."

"N-naughty?" she arched into him again, feeling the walls of her dam begin to buckle under the sheer onslaught of his cock.

"Yes. You want to cum so badly, but you haven't asked for permission yet." He smirked into her neck, nipping her when she seemed lost in her writhing. He didn't once slow his pace, both hands gripping her hips and holding her steady as he ground forward.

"Please!" She mewled and held onto his shoulders, trying to kiss him again, but he turned away.

"Please what? Stop?" he paused, but not for long.

"NO!" she yelped, relieved when he drove her back against the bath wall. "Oh, d-don't ever stop Señor Croc." She kissed his neck and heard him chuckle into her ear.

"I won't stop, if you beg me to let you cum." He turned his head to look deep into her eyes. Sharp amber smouldered down on dark honey. "Beg me Catherina." She arched her body to meet him again, and whimpered.

Sweet lord she loved it when he said her name like that.

"Please Señor Croc. Please, I beg you."

"For what Catherina."

"t-to let me cum." She blushed madly and closed her eyes.

"Alright Catherina, you can cum now." he then pulled out. she snapped her eyes open in alarm, only to find herself whipped over and bracing herself against the wall of the bath. He parted her legs and lifted her hips in the water until she was kneeling on the edge of the seat. He then entered her again, and _rammed_ her into the bath wall.

"AAAAHH!" She screamed with delight as he fucked her hard, so different to how he was last time. it was like he wasn't holding anything back this time. Croc was letting his inner beast out, hissing and snarling over the sound of his scales slapping her skin under the water. The thought of him releasing himself so much was more than she could take. She wondered if any other woman had _ever_ let him be free like this. "C-C-Croc!" she yowled and dug her nails into the wooden frame of the bath. She came hard, like a thunder storm bursting from where their hips met and throughout her body. She whimpered as each of his thrusts sent wave after wave of pleasure wantonly through her. Catherina could tell that he was getting close too, from how erratic his breathing had become. She used her grip on the bath to push back against every one of his thrusts, until he released a deep hiss to the air and held her hips still against him. his grip was hard, and his claws broke her skin, but she didn't mind that in exchange for the moment of godly pleasure they had just shared. It was a few more moments of heavy panting before he pulled out and hastily got out of the bath. He pulled off the condom whilst he was still mostly hard, to tie it off before any of his seamen leaked into the water. He discarded it, and to Catherina's great delight returned to the bath. He sat in the seat beside her and dropped his arm over her shoulders.

"So." He cleared his throat and looked at the opposite wall. He knew she was looking at him, but he wouldn't look back. He knew what look was in her eyes, and if he looked at it, he'd have to address it. He wasn't ready to address it just yet. "That was pleasing."

"You did all the hard work Señor Croc." She tentatively placed a hand on his chest and waited for him to tell her to take it away. She beamed a smile when he didn't. "You are very good at this."

_I started to wonder if he'd had other lovers, and if so how many? And how did I compare to them? But I knew better than to ask. I was not his girlfriend. Just his mistress. _

"If you say so." He looked off to one side, away from her. But the arm stayed over her shoulders and he didn't move his chest away from her hand. "Are you sore?"

"No Señor Croc."

"You can call me Croc when we're alone you know. And not just when we're fucking." He chuckled, feeling the heat of her blush without needing to see it.

"Very well Se-" he flashed a narrowed eyed stare at her. "...Croc." she blushed again, this time from actually saying his name when she couldn't use the torrents of passion as an excuse.

"Good girl." He chuckled again and caught himself looking back into those big brown eyes. "Now, wash up, get dressed, and I'll drive you home."

"Could we not have another moment like this Se-Croc? You don't have to look at me. Just let us sit like this for another moment."

"Why?" he raised a brow at her, and watched her snuggled against his side.

_In truth it was so I could pretend we were real lovers, enjoying an intimate moment after our passionate love making. But I knew I could not say that to Señor Croc. He did not care for me then, and he would have ended our agreement if he thought I did. I then thought of the perfect excuse. _

"I haven't given you a massage yet, Croc."

"Oh? I was under the impression that you had, Catherina."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter.

_My relationship with Señor Croc was very consistent from then on. He would come to the club most nights to hear me sing and carry out his 'business', and twice a week he would take me home or back to his place to have sex. Depending on his mood we would make love in a bed, or he'd fuck me in the bath or against a wall. He was always be matter of fact about it, and I'd always be left alone in my own bed by the end of it. he never staid for very long or snuggled afterwards. _

_Until one night, 4 months into our arrangement. _

Catherina sat at the performers' table, sipping a diet coke and sinking against the velvet seats.

She wore a long red dress, of course, with a large heart shaped diamante section covering her breasts. The rest of the dress fell in silken folds, like a second skin. It wasn't fitted, but the fabric rested naturally over her like she was beautifully gift wrapped.

Or at least, that's what Killer Croc thought when he looked at her.

He stared at that strange woman, sat there, sipping through a straw when she knew damn well he was watching her. His little Spanish doll knew better now than to actually look at him or address him when he appeared at the club. She knew if he wanted her, he'd tell her. The problem was, he _did_ want her. But it had only been 24 hours since he last had her. Croc smirked to himself under his trench coat and hat. He'd appeared on her doorstep last night and caught her in nothing but a large T shirt with a bunny on the front for sleeping in. One swipe of his fist and she was naked. They didn't even make it to the bedroom. He pounced and pounded her into the living room floor, rolling around in carnal pleasure.

It had only been 24 hours.

But he wanted her again. So badly he could feel his reptilian blood growing hot again.

Then she did it. Catherina licked the end of her straw and looked at him through her lashes. Those ruby lips curved into a knowing smirk as they closed around the straw.

No. Croc turned away from her and focused on the blonde woman on stage. She wore lots of pink and seemed to be murdering a classic love song with a cute face.

He caught her moving out of the corner of his big amber eyes, and watched her saunter off to the dressing rooms. As she stood in the doorway she looked over her shoulder at him, blew him a kiss, and slipped into the room.

Croc pulled away from the wall and stalked through the shadows to the dressing room. He found the door unlocked so he went inside and locked the door behind him.

"Catherina?" He growled out, and smirked when he heard a soft whimper behind the changing screens.

"Señor Croc?" Her silhouette teased his eyes, which increased as her dress appeared, thrown over the screen. "It seems I'm alone here."

"I don't smell anyone else."

"Are you well?" The tone of her voice was light, but mischievous. She had lured him here on purpose.

"I'm about to be a hell of a lot better. Get out here." He barked, looking around for a suitable surface to take her on. Maybe the floor again?

"Alright, but I was about to go home."

"Well now you...well." Croc leaned against one of the dressing tables and blinked at his little Spanish doll.

She had changed her outfit alright. How she wore red heels, long red tights with lace trimmings up to her mid thigh, and suspenders attaching them to a pair of French panties. They were beneath a transparent red negligee that parted over her front. The top section was much like a bikini, but also transparent...

He could see her dusky nipples hardening beneath the negligee, and the dark outline of her tresses through the panties. Her long raven hair bounced, with certain other parts, as she stalked towards them. "This isn't like you."

"I saw this in the window of a show Señor Croc and I thought you might like it." It was then he saw the furious blush over her naughty features. "Do you?"

"Hmmm." He folded his arms and gave her a quick look up and down. "Don't know. Walk up and down for me." She gulped, clearly not expecting that, but did as she was told.

Croc resisted the urge to laugh as she tentatively walked back and forth for his pleasure. She wasn't experienced with this sort of thing, or she'd have done a sexy walk, or taunted him in some way. Instead she walked like she was a person in the street, who happened to be attracted to him. "I think I need to see the back." Catherina stood with her back to him and watched him over her shoulder. "I _think_ I like it. Show me the front again." She turned and saw the evil twinkle in his eyes.

"I think I can improve the outfit Croc." He narrowed his stare on her face then and smirked. She was going into bedroom mode. She'd called him Croc.

"Show me." She pulled at the cord on the front of the negligee and slipped it off. She was now wearing nothing but the heels, tights, suspenders and panties. "Yes. Better." He dropped his hat off to one side and shrugged his coat off. He then leaned forward and swiped his tongue across one of her nipples and up to her neck. "Much better." He clawed at the dresser as her feather light fingertips ghosted over his chest, down his rippling abs and down to his belt buckle. "Oh? I haven't given you permission to-"

Click. Thwap.

She threw the belt off to one side and waited to see if she was in trouble or not. "...aren't we feeling adventurous today? You'd think I hadn't seen you in a while."

"I will always hunger for you Croc." Catherina whimpered, pressing herself against his body and grabbing hold of his zipper. "These panties are crotchless." She whispered into his ear and moaned when he finally grabbed her hips.

"Really Catherina, you should have opened with that if you really wanted me to fuck you." He held the back of one knee and pulled her leg around his waist. The other hand found the opening in the crotchless panties and he slipped his fingers inside her. at first she panicked, knowing the claws that tipped those fingers, until she looked down at the other hand on her leg.

He'd clipped his claws down. Catherina beamed with delight and soon with ecstasy when he started probing her with those skilful fingers. She grabbed his shoulders and mounted him on the dresser table, making a real show of riding his fingers and kissing him with a fiery passion. "I wouldn't have taken you for a naughty girl that fucks her boyfriend at work." He growled, slipping his fingers back out and freeing his throbbing cock from his pants and fly.

Catherina was about to say 'boyfriend?', when grabbed her hips and brought her down onto his dick. She screamed with delight, arching her body and using her grip on his shoulders to anchor her to him. "What a naughty girl you are. Tricking me into coming back here just so you could have some fun on my dick." Croc hissed with an open mouthed grin as her body moved up and down, rocking against him and seemingly losing her mind with pleasure. She watched him as well, seeing how he reacted to her movements. He moved his gaze from her intoxicating body, to her enticing and erotic face. The way she moaned his name, begged for more, and kissed his lips desperately did wonders to his ego and his libido. He grabbed her ass helped her grind against him even harder.

"Oh Croc." She whimpered, and licked the side of his face. He purred and grunted as he thrust up into her tight, wet pussy.

If you had asked him 4 months ago if he would be in the back of the club, with this heavenly creature riding him for all he was worth, he'd have laughed at you. Now he was snarling with ardour and giving in to his new addiction.

Twice a week just wasn't enough anymore. Clearly it wasn't enough for her either, with the lengths she'd gone through. Buying naughty underwear and seducing him into fucking her in the dressing room like this. "Croc!"

He watched her tremble with wanton need, her orgasm rocketing through her nerves and hissed as she clawed over his chest. She didn't break through his scales, but damn she was hot when she came. Her hair was a dishevelled mess now and her body was hot and just a little bit sweaty. He could taste it as he licked her breasts, sucking on her peaks and nipping at her neck. "OOooooh."

He felt himself getting closer, then it hit him.

He wasn't wearing a condom!

"G-Get off quickly." He used his grip on her hips to lift her off him and put her down on her feet.

"B-but! I haven't pleased you yet Señor Croc!" Catherina went into full blown panic mode. "Whatever I did Wrong Señor Croc I-" He grabbed the back of her head and pulled her in for a deep and wet kiss. He didn't stop until she stopped trying to apologise through their lips.

"I didn't expect this, so I didn't bring a rubber." He chuckled into her cheek, licking it and looking into her worried brown orbs. "Don't worry, you _will _please me." He grabbed her hand and wrapped it around his cock. She got the hint and let him push her to her knees before him. he gripped the dresser table again and watched her from his towering position as she stroked him from base to tip. "Faster."

"Si Se-" He grabbed the back of her head and shoved the head of his cock in her mouth.

Catherina was startled at first, having never given head to anyone before. It also tasted a little salty from the juices of their sex, but not unpleasant enough to prevent her from doing her job. She had to please him, and if Killer Croc wanted her to suck his cock, that's that she'd do.

"Fuck." He kept his fingers tangled in her hair at the back of her head, dictating the pace of her bobbing head. She wasn't bad at this actually. She used one hand to hold the base of his cock to keep the shaft still and allowed her saliva to lubricate it as she moved. She stimulated the underside with her tongue, and followed her master's instruction to suck harder and nip him in the right places. She never complained, and she never reduced the pace. "Oh yeah, let go." Catherina released him immediately and looked up for her next instruction. Croc grabbed his own cock and stared down into her face. "Say my name." He was stroking himself and panted with a grin as he held her face near the throbbing head.  
"Croc." He purred with delight and put the tip of his crown on her chin.

"Open your mouth and say it again." She knew what he wanted now, and smoothed her hands up his thighs. She blushed and opened her love sore lips with lusty brown eyes.

"Croc." She whimpered, and he released a strangled moan. He came mostly in her mouth, but some of it dribbled down her chin and stuck to her cheek. He released her face and gripped the dresser table instead, panting and gathering himself. He never once looked at away from Catherina, watching as she struggled to swallow the thick cum in her mouth, and use a tissue to wipe the rest away. She only gagged a little bit, and it was so cute how she tried to hide it from him.

"Well done. That was your first time giving oral, wasn't it?"

"Was I good?"

"Yeah." he put himself away and put his coat and hat back on. "I'll have to get you to do that again some time."

"I'll get better." Catherina got to her feet and reached for her dressing gown. Croc grabbed her wrist and yanked her body against his. He then kissed her, despite the taste on her tongue, and ran his hands all over her body until she became a whimpering puddle of goo in his hands.

"I'll do you next time. I know you like that."

"I love that." Catherina wrapped her arms around his neck and wished he would just hold her like this forever. "I love everything you do to me."

"Really?" He nuzzled her neck and licked it. "Then perhaps we need to meet more often to enjoy each other."

"Yes!" she pulled back and beamed a hopeful smile at him. "I'd very much like to see you more often."

There it was again.

She cared for him.

There was a cautious voice in the back of his head saying he couldn't deny that the girl was becoming attached to him, in more ways than when they fucked. The problem was...he didn't want to give her up either.

"Fine. We'll up it to-"

"As often as you like." She interrupted him and kissed his lips. "Whenever you desire my body, you can have it. It's yours."

"Really? What if I wanted you every night?"

"Then you can have me every night."

_I was in love with him then, and I knew it. I knew that to offer my body to him like this, on his every beckon and call, was dangerous. Surely he could see how much I wanted him, and would use this against me in some way. Maybe he would realise the extent for my feelings for him and discard me now, before things got messier. All these fears ran around in my eyes, but in that moment I didn't care. I wanted to be his, in every way possible. _

"That's a little awkward, with you living so far from my house." He looked over her head and stared into the back of the dressing room door.

"I could move closer to you." She offered, feeling the ice beneath her feet start to break. She was pushing her luck now.

"Or you could move in with me and be my slut-on-tap?" He grinned and looked down at her, expecting her to cry and hit him and tell him he could go to hell. She was no one's slut.

"I'd love to." The smile on Catherina's face, the tears building up in her eyes and the gentle way she put her hands on his chest, said a very clear message Croc wasn't ready to hear yet. "I'll be a very good woman to you Croc. I'll do as much or as little as you want."

"What? You mean like clean and cook and stuff?" He suddenly saw unforeseen advantages to this arrangement. He hated tidying, and cooking, and changing the bedding, and dusting, and-"

"Yes, of course. I will do _whatever_ you want me to."

"Well, you better get home and pack then. I'll collect you and your stuff tomorrow." Croc untangled himself from the woman and straightened himself up.

Did he really just ask her to move in with him? Had she really just said yes? Even when he'd called her a slut?

"I'm not working tomorrow. What time shall I be ready for?" She was already pulling on a pair of jeans and lacy white bra. "Do I need to buy anything? Do I need to tell Señor Falcone that-"

"No, I'll tell him. Be ready for noon." He watched her and felt something warm begin to bubble in his chest.

She was grinning and moving around the dressing room like it was Christmas. Was she really that happy that she was going to be his house slave? Really?

"I will be ready for noon Se-" He silenced her with one last deep kiss, before tearing away from her and storming back out into the club.

_I had never been as happy as I was in that moment. Croc had referred to himself, accidentally or not, as my boyfriend. He'd admitted that he wanted to see me more often and asked me to move in with him, and was wasting no time about it. I knew he thought of me as a convenience that would be more convenient if I was already waiting for him when he got in from his work, but to me, it was more than that. I would never presume to be more than his mistress, but the normalcy of living with him, cooking and cleaning, it would almost be like I was his girlfriend. Something...something I secretly craved more than anything. I felt as though he was starting to like me, but couldn't be sure. Little to say I spent hours that night packing, cancelling my bills, and planning what to wear, say and do tomorrow when Croc came to collect me and take me 'home'. _


	6. Chapter 6

_I stood by the front door with my suitcase and looked to the clock. Noon. Dead on. _

Catherina shifted from one foot to the next, wondering if this was going to be a totally casual process, or the most nerve wracking experience of her life. Would she have her own room? Or sleep next to him? would it even be a room or would she be chained to a wall, naked, like a slave?

_My stomach flip-flopped from excited to terrified. I kept telling myself not to assume anything. Be grateful for everything, and work hard to please him in every way I can. Then I wondered what my mother would think when I told her I moved. I couldn't tell her that I moved in with my 'boyfriend' as she'd want to meet him. Oh no, Señor Croc would never allow that._

Then the door rasped, shocking her out of her thoughts. She opened the door with one hand and beamed a smile up at her lover.

"Good afternoon Señor Croc."

Killer Croc stood in his usual attire, the trench coat, hat and gloves, and looked her up and down. She wore something very different to her usual sexy dresses, or super cute casual outfits he'd caught her in. She wore sandals and a teal pixie dress. It had an halter neck top and under her ample bust it fell in layers to rest just above her knees. Her honey legs looked nice and long in that dress, and her neck and arms were also bare. Her hair was as always, thick and raven, falling around her face and shoulders in waves. She had no makeup on today, and was clearly going for a more natural look. She didn't need makeup though, with her big brown eyes and honey skin. With no makeup he noticed the hint of darker freckles on her cheeks, and then a blush when she noticed how long he'd been staring down at her. "S- Señor?"

"No." He walked into the room, forcing her to stagger backwards and frown. Had he changed his mind? Was he here to tell her she wasn't moving in with him after all? He chased her back into one of the living room walls.

"Señor Croc, what are you saying no to? If I've done something-"

"You have." He growled and trapped her against the wall, taking her bag and throwing it off to one side. He then grabbed her hip with one hand and her face with the other. "You look so damn innocent, I need to fuck you." he chuckled darkly at the look of relief on her face, cottoning on to what she feared. "Oh, you thought I'd changed my mind? I thought about it, as I'm sure you'll piss me off at some point, but the thought of sticking my dick in you whenever I please, will make it worth it." he then released a wide grin and a dark look in his amber eyes. "I might as well start as I mean to go on." he licked her cheek and fisted at the skirt of her dress. "Fuck, I'm already have a woody. This is all your fault." He dragged his lips down her neck and nipped at her skin. "Take off your panties and take responsibility."

"Si Señor Croc." She shimmied out of them and even hooked one of her legs around his hips. He caught it and lifted it higher, exposing her even more to him. "oh, please-"

"Please? What are you begging me for Catharina." She trembled and felt up his chest with desire.

"Fuck me Croc." He grinned, watching her lose control of himself.

"Better do something about my pants then Señorita." Croc took great delight in watching her paw at his belt, yanking it open and freeing his cock from his pants. "It won't fit like this Catharina. You'll have to make it nice and slick for me." He dropped her leg and pushed her down to her knees. She watched as he pulled out a condom and rubbered up. "Nice and wet." She held him at the base and dragged her tongue up his length, feeing the vibration of his growl through his cock. "In your mouth Catharina." Croc held the back of her head and gently forced her to take him inside her. "Aaaaaaah, that's it. Just like that." he rested his other hand against the wall and watched his cock slide in and out of her inexperienced mouth. She certainly tried her best at everything, and never complained. He wondered how much he could get her to agree to before that changed? "That's enough. Up." She scrambled up his body and sought out his lips. He used his hungry kiss to push her against the wall and lift her up by her hips against him and the wall. "Put my dick in you Catharina." He purred into her eat and felt her fingers wrap around his shaft. She barely managed to get his throbbing crown into her entrance before he thrust forward. Catharina howled with delight, clawing at the wall above her head with one hand and gripping for dear life to his shoulder with the other. He snarled and ground her against the wall, filling her up to the hilt.

"Croc!" she mewled wrapping her arms around his neck and writhing against him. they picked up quite the rhythm as he rocked her into the wall, rolling his hips into hers with a quickening pace. He licked, kissed and nipped at the flesh of her neck, but never broke the skin. It was a massive turn on that he was even capable of being this gentle with his deathly mouth, whilst he thrashed her against the wall with his cock. "Oh Croc, I'm so close." She whimpered, wishing she could do more than just take it as he ground her into the wall. Catharina kissed him, sliding her tongue against his and chewing on the guttural noises of approval he made. His trimmed claws started to dig into her ass so hard he was leaving bruises where his finger tips gripped her, but neither cared. His pace increased again, and it was enough to throw his Hispanic goddess over the edge. "CROC!" she tensed and shuddered all over, clinging to him as the waves of her orgasm lapped at her body and mind. She was still reeling when he jutted forward and released inside her with a half strangled snarl. His hips rocked forward at a slower pace, simply milking the pleasure of the moment.

"Fuck, Catharina." He kissed her lips and sighed, pressing his forehead against the wall by her head. She could hear the smirk tugging at his lips as he spoke. "What an addiction I've developed? I'm going to have to start taking on extra fluids at this rate." He turned his head to look at her as she held him around him and snuggled her face into his neck. "Come." He walked with her in his arms to the bathroom, lifted her pelvis from his and put her on her feet. He then make quick work of removing the condom and washing his dick. "Let's go." Catharina stumbled after him, still love drunk, and watched him pick up her suitcase. She beamed, finally reassured that she was indeed going home with him. she then spotted her panties on the floor and reached for them. "Leave them." She lifted back up to do so without any hesitation. "Wait...pass them to me." Her eyebrow lifted, but she did as she was told. Once the lacy green panties were in his hands, he sniffed them, MMmmmm-ed and put them in his inner trench coat pocket. Catharina blushed madly and followed him out to the car pack and into the van. _What could he possibly want them for?_

Her suit case was throw into the back and he sighed, still grinning contently as they drove away from her old flat and to his warehouse.

_I did not know it then, but he had become attached to me as well. When he spoke of me as his addiction, I thought he was teasing me. In fact he meant it literally. He couldn't get enough of me, and simply the sight of me was enough to drive him wild with need. He did not love me, but he knew he needed me. He also knew the most efficient way of getting me was to tend to allow my infatuation with him to continue. Neither of us could have known where that would lead. _

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_His house was just how I remembered it. I didn't get much time to admire it thought before he was on me again. _

The front door opened, her suitcase was thrown against the wall and Catherina was backed up into the room. One of his colossal hands held her back and he kissed her with such a hunger it was maddening. Once the door was kicked shut behind them the Spanish beauty jumped up into his arms and wrapped her legs around his middle. Croc chuckled deeply in his chest and his thick lips curved against her mewling ones. He was clearly amused by how eager she was to reciprocate his urges. He held her backside with both hands, easily supporting her weight against his chest as he walked further into his home. He chuckled even more into their feverish kissing when she shoved his jacket off his shoulders and threw his hat off as well. He didn't stop walking forward until he had her back pressed up against the opposite wall. Catherina wriggled between his firm body and the wall in such a way he _knew_ she was doing it on purpose. Panting softly with lusty excitement he slid her down his body until she stood on her feet again. He then took a couple of steps back from her and watched her clinging to the wall behind her.

"You look hungry." Croc took his time taking off a large watch on his wrist. "And a bit hot under the collar."

"Si Señor Croc. I am very warm." She pulled at the ties of her dress behind her neck. The green pixie dress shimmered to the floor, leaving her totally bare before him. Not expecting her to be totally naked, despite having her panties in his pocket, Croc was stunned for a moment and greedily drank her image in. Oh those dark and perky nipples. The curves and dips of her hips and thighs. He could already smell her arousal on his tongue, and he was eager to taste it. this was evident by the tenting of his pants. "Is this ok Señor Croc?"

"Woman, I've told you time and time again to call me Croc when we're alone. I will not ask you again." His voice came out harsher than he had meant to, and he regretted it the moment he saw her press her body back against the wall and held herself around the middle.

"Por favor, perdóname. I won't say it again." He sighed and looked off to one side. Why did he feel guilty all of a sudden? Croc pushed it aside and turned to face her with a crocodile grin. He was Killer Croc. He did and said whatever he wanted. No woman would change that.

"Wanna fuck in the pool?"

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_Days merged into weeks, weeks merged into months and I had totally fallen in love with my crocodile man. The frequency of our love making increased to at least once a day, and the number of times he went out of his way to remind me I was just a whore to him decreased as well. At first he made me sleep in one of the spare bedrooms and would only spend time with me (outside of me keeping up my side of our bargain) when he would take me to the Blue Moon to sing. He would watch me from the shadows, trying to hide the hunger in his eyes and the smile on his lips from the world. But I felt it. I dared to hope a change was happening inside of my beloved Croc. Perhaps I was becoming more to him than just sex. _

"Ok. I have cleaned the house, tied away his weapons and the chicken is cooking in the oven." Catharina put her hands on her hips and looked around the man-pad she shared with Killer Croc. "I've filtered and cleaned the pool and washed his clothes."

_When Croc was away on business I became very lonely. I had to get a cab to work and the warehouse was very cold and quiet at night. I spent my time practising my act for work and maintaining his home. _"What else can I do now...?"

Catherina caught an image of herself in the reflection of the large TV on the living room wall. She wore a plain blue t-shit and denim shorts. Her long raven hair was taken back into a low ponytail and her fringe curved over her forehead. The Spanish beauty sighed and held herself. Croc had been gone for a week now, much longer than usual when he was 'away on business'.

_I almost thought it cute how he worded his work life to me. Like I didn't know he was a blood thirsty hit man that disposed of his victims in pieces, some of which he ingested. 'away on business' sounded much better than 'cleaning house for the Falcone'._

Bang. The door opened and her heart jumped up into her throat. "Dios mío! Croc! Mi amor, what happened?" Catharina ran to her lover's side and wrapped her arms around his middle, helping him stagger further into their home.

"People don't always take kindly to my work." He sniggered, blood dribbling from his scaly lips and down his chin.

_I had never seen Killer Croc with anything worse than a couple of bruises before. In the 6 months we had been 'dating' and then living together, never had I seen him in a state like this, and I never would again. _

With trembling hands Catharina helped her massive lover sit on the leather sofa and peeled him out of his hat and coat first. The first thing she saw was blood and torn scales. One of his big amber eyes was swollen shut, and he was missing a few of his terrifying teeth. He held his darkly bruised cut and sighed with pain. "I closed the deal, so I'll still get paid. No need to worry about your-" Catharina ran from him and into the kitchen. She didn't realise then, but Croc was listening hard to what she was doing.

"Ok, ok, painkillers." She rooted through the medicine cabinet she had organised a few days ago and got the strongest pain killers he had. Some medical grade animal drugs from the look of them. Croc wasn't exactly someone who could get medication on prescription after all. Next she filled a glass of water and hurried back to him. "Are these the right painkillers?"

"Hmmm, yeah." he went to take them from her with his free hand, but she leaned over him.

"Open wide my love." He hesitated, then opened his mouth a few inches. She slipped the pills in without any sign of being uncomfortable with his current state, then carefully held the glass to his lips. "Ok, steady." He sipped the cool water as it trickled down his tongue. It was so refreshing he sank deeper into the sofa. The glass was taken back and he looked with his good eye at her. Her dark brown eyes were watery with tears, but they didn't fall, and she didn't falter. "Ok, have you been shot or stabbed anywhere?"

"Nah. They had bats not guns. Why?"

"My mother has been shot a few times when she worked at the corner shop." Catharina hurried back into the kitchen, but shouted back to him. "My papa was useless. My mama also had no insurance, so I had to help her take out the bullets and stitch her up. Will you need stitches?"

"Hmm." Croc winced as he craned his neck forward, looking down at his bruised ribs. He then scanned his eye over his arms and clocked the weeping cut in his right bicep. "Yeah."

"Ok." She returned with latex gloves on and a dinner tray. He looked at the tools she had on there and cocked his head to one side. "Do you have any injuries on your legs?"

"No."

"Feet? Hips? pelvis?"

"Nah." Croc chuckled. "They focused on my upper body."

"Ok." She clocked the bleeding wound on his arm. "Are you allergic to anything? My Mama is allergic to penicillin and aspirin."

"Nope." He chuckled. She was actually going to play nurse to him. he watched her intently as she poured some vodka onto a tea towel and dab his arm. She was so gentle and focused on the task at a hand, she didn't notice how he watched her. "You really have done this before haven't you?"

"Si. It's a lot easier when I'm not being told that using the vodka as a sanitizer is a waste of good liquor."

"Your dad sounded like a drunkard ass." Croc knew what having shitty parents did to you.

"Si, he was. Oh, I'm sorry Croc. I'm trying to be gentle." The big man hissed with pain as she used a curved needle to pull his scales together.

"I know Doc, I'm a big boy. I can take it." he chuckled as she looked to him with worry. "Well don't do half a job then?" Catharina stitched him up as best as she could, and did a pretty good job. The bleeding had stopped and it looked better than anything Croc had done on himself in the past. "What's that?" he pointed to the little brown bottle she had in her hand.

"Iodine. You are reptilian, si?" Catharina shook the bottle a few times then unscrewed the lid. "Iodine is a scale friendly way of keeping a wound clean. Good on skin too, but it will stain for a few days." Without even thinking she poured a small amount of it onto his cut and then quickly bandaged it up. "Where else are you bleeding?" he pointed to his chest. They had beaten him so badly that it had broken his skin in places. She folded the tea towel over and put more vodka over it. pressing the towel to these wounds didn't hurt as much so she was able to go quicker. "These won't need stitches." She dabbed iodine over the little wounds and looked to his face. "Ice! She scrambled away from him like she had a rocket up her ass. "we have ice-ice-ice-ice!" if Catharina wasn't so tunnel vision-ed she'd have noticed that Croc was smiling at her.

_He wouldn't tell me then, but later he said that that was the first time anyone had ever cared for him. _

Croc watched her wrap a new tea towel around the small bag of ice and took it from her before she could press it to his swollen eye.

"I got it." He hissed as it pressed it to his eye and noticed she was looking intently at his mouth. "What?"

"Your bleeding. You've lost teeth. Can I-"

"Nah. Nothing you can do for me Señorita. Don't worry about my charming smile, I'll soon grow new ones."

"Oh good." She sat by his side on the sofa, the side with his good eye. "So you'll be ok?" She pulled the latex gloves off and put her hands tentatively on his knee.

"Yeah, I'll just sleep it off."

"Ok." She got to her feet and held her hands out for him. "Let's go." He looked at her face first, then her offered hands. he sighed and took them. It was an awkward journey up the stairs and even more awkward when she helped him out of his trousers and pants, and into bed. She even tucked him in and fluffed his pillows under his head. "If you need anything just let me know. I'll go get you a drink of water and some more pain meds for later on. I'm off work for the next few days so no need to worry about anything." Catharina leaned forward and plated a ghost of a kiss on his good cheek. "Rest well Croc. Dormir bien, mi amor, yo cuidaré de ti."

"I need to learn fucking Spanish." He grumbled and closed his eye, falling hostage to his elephant grade pain meds.

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He awoke in the afternoon, the following day, and groaned with pain. Despite being a fast healer he was still black and blue over his chest and gut, and his arms ached with the strain of the fight. He pushed himself up in his bed and immediately saw Catharina. She had brought her blanket and pillows into his room and was curled up in the corner by the door. He licked his lips and turned to look at his bedside table. He made quick work of downing the glass of water and taking more meds. Hopefully they wouldn't knock him out this time. Catharina must have heard him moving as she stirred and groggily made her way over to his bedside.

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"Good morning mi amor. How are you feeling?"

"Better." He tried not to look at the adoration and worry in her eyes. instead he examined her stitch-work on his arm. "The stitched held well."

"Gracias. You were a good patient." She chuckled. Croc looked at her then. She was smiling brightly at him with those bright brown eyes. She wore plain green sleeping shorts and vest top. Her long raven hair was messy and some of it stuck up at the back where she'd been sleeping on it. "Can I get you some more water?" Croc blinked and realised he'd been staring at her. She was effortlessly beautiful, and so...just so...

"Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"Our arrangement is that I get to fuck you whenever I want and you don't have to worry about any dick and fucking tom at the club having a taste." Catharina shifted uncomfortably on the edge of the bed. It had been a while since they talked about this, and she hadn't expected it to be on Croc's tongue at a time like this. "I only brought you home with me for convenience ass on tap. Yet you've taken it upon yourself to 'keep house'."

"I...i thought you _liked_ my tidying." Catharina looked down at her hands on her lap and gulped. She'd finally done it. she'd gone too far and crossed Croc's line. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you."

"Hell Catherina I'm not offended. I'm confused." He ground through his aching jaws and stared at the woman. He'd been putting this conversation off, but now it seemed he couldn't wait any longer. "I guess you living here could be construed in you doing your part about the place, and you're a hell of a cook, but where do you get from our arrangement that you have to take care of me? Like we're-Hay, I'm talking to you." he growled and reached for her hand. She jumped to her feet and pressed her hands together over her front.

"Oh please Señor Croc, don't throw me out. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to over step. I was just so worried and I didn't mean to upset you Señor Croc, I just-"

"but that's just it." he snapped, pointing at her with one of his shortened talons. "You care about me. I'm a blood thirsty, cold blooded bastard that might look beaten to crap, but this is nothing compared to what I did to the other guys." The air chilled and his eyes blazed with anger.

"I know Señor Croc. I know what you do."

"Exactly. In here you can play pretend happy home all you like, but-"

"I've washed enough blood and pulled enough pieces of people out of your clothes to know what you do." Her voice was quiet, but her admission still silenced him. she looked to him with such sorry brown eyes, it tapered his anger. "I am not a fool. I know exactly what monstrous things you do for a living. I knew that before I got into bed with you. I know I simply do not care." She gulped, feeling tears building up in her eyes. "All I care about is you."

There. she said it. Croc sat back against the bed rest and stared at her. "Please don't get rid of me. I'll be better. I'll do whatever you say." She scrambled over to the bed again and sat as close as she dared, begging him with clasped hands. "I won't do anything unless you-"

"You love me don't you?" his big amber eyes bore into her in such a way, she knew she couldn't lie to him. she knew what he'd do to her if she did. What she feared was what he'd do to her if she told the truth.

"...si..." tears fell down her cheeks in streams. This was it. He was going to get rid of her because she couldn't stop herself feeling for him. "I-I'm not stupid. I know you don't care for me like that, but-"

"Do you?" Croc closed his eyes and sighed. "You know how I feel do you?"

"...you've always said that I was nothing more than free sex to you."

"Yeah. I said that." he slowly turned his colossal head to the side and looked at the stitches in his arm. "I'm a monster Catharina. How can you possibly love a monster like me?"

"We are all monsters." He looked to her, never more out of his depth as he was right now. He was a killer. What could she possibly see in him to want so much from him? "I am also a monster. I just didn't know it until I was faced with others of my kind." She gripped the bed sheets and steeled herself. "I bought a gun and a knife to kill the next bastardo that tried to rape me. Then I saw you."

"How do you go from giving me your body so I protect it from others, to ironing my pants and cooking my meals? To giving a shit if I come home bloody?"

"Because I love you."

_If I had to be open about how I felt about him, I need him to know the whole of it. If he was going to get rid of me depending on my answer, I was going to do my very best to stay by his side._ "And you may be a murderer, but you have given me more than any many has ever given me."

"A choice?" he sniggered at her. But Catharina wasn't deterred.

"You make me happy. You make me feel safe. You make me laugh with your humour, and you've never lied to me. That makes you a better man than any I have met so far." She even dared to take one of his hands in hers. "I will do as little or as much as you let me, but I beg of you. Please let me stay with you."

"You're quitting the Blue Moon." He took his hand from her and climbed out of the bed at the opposite side. Croc held his side as he staggered towards the bathroom. "My woman is not flaunting herself for other men. I can't _stand_ the way they ogle you." Catharina watched and listened from the bed. She was stunned. "I do a lot of work or the Falcone. I'll take you as payment for the next few jobs I do for him. I'll make Eric take it." She heard the sound of the shower turn on and gush against the wall. still her heart hammered in her chest. Did this mean... "I don't do half measures. I don't do take backs. You want to love me?"

"Si!" Catharina stumbled off the bed and held onto the bedpost to keep her steady.

"Fine. You're my wifey. Move your shit into my bedroom. I snore and I won't put up with you steeling the covers. I need the heat at night. If you ever try to leave me or even _look_ at another guy, I'll rip your throat out." Catharina walked slowly to the bathroom door, afraid that what she was hearing was a dream, and it would shatter if she approached Croc too quickly. "You want to be my woman? I expect you to cook and clean and all that shit you're already doing. I still want sex on tap, and I'll be damned if you leave the house without me or my permission. Understood?"

"Si Croc." She sniffled through a smile in the doorway. He was gingerly washing himself and kept his scaly back to her. "Thank you." he stopped scrubbing his good side and looked at her over his shoulder.

Did she even known how beautiful she was? It felt wrong to let her love him. Angels shouldn't fall in with demons. "I was so scared you'd get rid of me." He watched her as she held herself and leaned against the door frame. She really meant that.

"I'm not going to lie to you. I don't love you. but I'll let you love me."

"I understand." Her voice was still so soft, so fragile, and yet her smile was so strong it made something twist in his reptilian chest.

"No you don't." He turned the shower off and stepped out of it, reaching for a towel and holding his side at the same time. "I've never loved anyone before, but I've never _been_ loved either. I'm not sure what it's supposed to look or feel like. My own parents threw me out as an evil demon spawn. I...do care for you." He tensed as she walked up to him and helped him wrap the towel around his middle. He'd been struggling. "More than I've ever cared for anyone. If anything happened to you I'd go as nuts as the Joker." He looked down into her big beautiful brown eyes and sighed with defeat. "it's been more than sex for me for quite some time. I enjoy your company. Watching trashy TV, talking as you cook and clean...you are fucked up in the head to find my ugly mug attractive, never mind love me. But I'll be good to you for it. You make me...feel human." Catharina held his cheeks tenderly, careful of his bruising, and reached up on her tip toes to kiss his lips. It was a brief but intimate kiss. "I'll give you what I've got Catharina. I can't promise it will be love as you know it, but it's the best a beast like me can do."

_I wept in his arms for joy. I spoke to him in Spanish, telling him how much I loved him and how happy he'd made me. Every now and then he'd ask for a translation, and roll his eyes at me when I gave him one. He called me soft and gushy, then kissed me and told me to get his dinner ready. I helped him down the stairs and onto the sofa first. Then I put the TV onto his favourite wrestling channel and kissed his cheek. Those were the happiest days of my life. _

_If you thought about it, I had agreed to remain confined to his house, cook and clean for him by day and satisfy all his sexual urges by night. I had to quit my job, and he threatened to kill me if I ever betrayed him. I loved Killer Croc so much, that nothing sounded more perfect to me. I loved him, I was allowed to love him, and he would try to love me back. _

_But there were consequences for crossing the Falcone. _


End file.
